Shattering the Pieces
by i-embrace-OCD
Summary: Sequel to When Adventure Calls. Toph based. A man who assisted Azula in her rebellion is working to become the most powerful figure in the world while seeking to destroy the Avatar and friends in the process. Tokka, Kataang. Chapter 7: Pretend
1. Driven to Insanity : Prologue

Title: Shattering the Pieces

Author: i-embrace-ocd

Synopsis: Sequel to _When Adventure Calls_; Toph-based. A man who assisted Azula in her rebellion is working to become the most powerful figure in the world while seeking to destroy the Avatar and friends in the process. Tokka, Kataang.

OC's: 2 (one's the villain)

Author's Note: If you haven't read When Adventure Calls, I highly suggest it; it catches you up on where everyone is relationship-wise (and a lot of history of how they got there, in the case of Toph/Sokka) and clues you in to references I make to Azula's rebellion.

After 2 months, I'm finally releasing the sequel to When Adventure Calls. Hope you enjoy it. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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**Chapter 1: Driven to Insanity (Prologue)**

The Fire Lord wasn't as oblivious as everyone seemed to think.

He was dedicated to his post. He stayed caught up in the news of all the nations and made sure to keep everything in order, even down to sending the chief of the Northern Water Tribe a birthday card when that time of year rolled around. He was always informed, and more so than many Fire Lords before him; criminal justice, education, foreign affairs - he was constantly active.

As many knew, Zuko had experienced a rough past. He had gone through so many trials and tribulations, so much inner turmoil, that he no longer believed in coincidence. Destiny was everything: He made connections in his mind that caused him to believe that everything in his life had led up to his ultimate destiny - being Fire Lord. He believed that he was always meant for the position, though he admitted that he hadn't always been aware of it.

Therefore, keeping in mind that Zuko was constantly given the latest international news and that, to him, coincidence didn't exist, it should come as no surprise that he made a connection between the deaths of three nobles (one from each nation) in the period of one week.

What's worse on Zuko's part is that all of the deaths were anticipated, so, if he expressed his concerns that something bad was sure to happen (and soon), he wouldn't be believed. Being taken seriously, of course, wasn't a problem; however, if he _was _wrong, his credibility would be shattered, and good credibility was essential for an effective ruler. All these things he contemplated, and he went over all of the deaths (_murders_, as he mentally referred to them) in his head:

Kolu had been the right-hand-man of the chief of the Northern Water Tribe. Of course, he had been in his _prime_ when the airbenders were wiped out, so he was getting on in years; his death (in his sleep, so they said) came as no surprise to anyone and, while he would be missed, the cause of his passing was given little investigation. This was normally the case with deaths of the elderly.

In addition to Kolu, a man from the Earth Kingdom's Foreign Affairs branch (he was Head of the Integration Committee and encouraged international peace and brotherhood) was murdered in one of the largest Fire Nation cities - Fire Nation citizens _tolerated_ the other nations; they did not accept them, and many still harbored ill feelings in regard to others of different nationalities. Seeing as how the man had (supposedly) been killed by a mob protesting his presence, the entire town was simply punished by being put under the supervision of soldiers from the Fire Nation army that were instructed to keep peace within the city's boundaries. As he had not been welcome inside of the city's borders to begin with, his death was no surprise, though it did present problems for Zuko; his citizens were (probably falsely) accused of murder, and, no matter how disappointed he was, he had to take responsibility.

Finally, the Governor of Ongata (the sister city to the Fire Nation's capital) was also murdered. He himself had been hated by his people as a result of a few recent laws he'd passed regarding taxes and marrying into separate nations; governors normally weren't given the freedom to pass laws that dealt with such matters, but Zuko was inundated with work, so he'd given them more freedom in the hope that they might leave him to his business. One man in particular had been making (what Zuko considered to be empty) threats regarding Ongata's governor, so, instead of dedicating time to investigate the death, soldiers arrested the "offender." Said threats he'd made had been declared in a tavern after he'd had a few rounds, but his state of mind was no matter. He'd said the threats, and for all anyone else knew, he'd followed through with them.

Zuko connected all three deaths and attributed them to a single cause: Something was happening. It was obviously not good, so, as soon as he had a conversation with his uncle, he planned to call a meeting with the Avatar. If something was happening, Aang ought to be informed.

---

Standing over the threshold of a dwelling that vaguely resembled a cabin was a man.

He was neither short nor tall, neither portly nor especially thin; one wouldn't describe him as clean-shaven or even hygienic, though he did look considerably better than he had in almost four years. The war had taken a lot out of him - almost as much as it'd taken _from _him. His wealth, his status, his family... he'd lost everything.

Well, maybe not everything. One thing he hadn't lost was his dream. In fact, he had kept it with him all of those years, had even allowed it to grow, to expand. His dream was this: He yearned to have control. Originally he had planned for his control to be over the Fire Nation, but ever-ambitious, as many Fire Nation nobles had been _before_ the war, he had extended the reaches of his power to include the entire world, to include all three nations. His dream had evolved into this, had evolved into something horrible and ugly, had changed to include reigning over the conquerers of the world (he often thought of the Avatar and his comrades as such).

He kept this dream close to him since the death (the _murder) _of his family, as it was the only thing in which he could seek solace; now that he had begun to put his plan into action, however... he was beginning to get caught up in how well everything was turning out. He _did _think it was a little irrational to have killed all three men within such a close time range, but it was necessary to arouse Zuko's suspicions. He wanted to know that the Fire Lord was having sleepless nights. It brought him such inhuman comfort, to know that the man who had essentially ruined his life was experiencing uneasiness and worry. Of course he was worrying - he couldn't possibly have any idea of what was _really _going on, that the deaths of so many important officials (and he wasn't finished, goodness no) was only the icing on the cake instead of the real threat. Perhaps Zuko knew this, but there was no way to be sure, and it didn't matter either way: There was nothing he could do now.

Not one thing.

He had begun scheming when he first heard that Prince Zuko had discovered the Avatar. Since then he had partaken in many attempts to keep the Fire Nation as the predominant world power or, after the war had ended, to redeem his nation; his most successful attempt was Azula's rebellion. Even if it _was _called _Azula's_ rebellion, she'd had to have a man behind the curtain pulling the strings. Most thought of her as a one-man (one-woman, really) operation with the exception of Mai and Ty Lee; though a woman as young as herself would have run into many obstacles in gathering so many weapons, in amassing such as army right under the Fire Lord's nose. He had assisted her greatly, had supported the idea from the start, but when the rebellion had failed... he'd returned to his original plan, to his greatest idea yet.

The frightening thing was that he was no longer a man with just a dream or an idea. He was actually making his dream a reality, was taking the necessary steps to make his idea so much more. He dedicated his life to it; he had contacts now, men who would succeed those he had managed to "take care of" (_kill _and _murder _were terribly incriminating words). These men were on his side, believing that their status would increase greatly when the Avatar was replaced as the most powerful figure in the world.

Of course, in order to seize control of the world, he had to remove whoever was already in the most powerful position. This was the Avatar, and, as he blamed the Avatar for everything (as most Fire Nation citizens did), conviction wouldn't be the problem. Method would be his main issue, but he had that all worked out.

Suffering was key, of course. He would make the Avatar suffer by making him watch the world fall to pieces; he would make sure that Aang had front row seats to witness all of his hard work destroyed, all of the nations corrupted. He would make every living thing kneel at his feet, and he would make the Avatar watch; the only punishment worse than that for the Avatar would be to destory his friends, and, of course, he had these things planned, too.

The earthbender would be the first to go.

Without a doubt, he hated her the most. _She_ had led _them_ to where he and his family had been tucked away in hiding, awaiting the arrival of a ship that would carry them to a nearby island. She had shown _them_ where he and his family had been, had provided _them_ with his family's whereabouts so that _they_ could destroy everything he cared about. He may have been a ruthless man when it came to fighting for his nation and what he believed in, but he had a heart, and it had been crushed when the echoing cries of his baby girl had resonated throughout the forest in which they had taken refuge; his _infant daughter_ had been taken! He suspected that perhaps she was still alive somewhere, that she would be raised in a law-abiding Fire Nation household where she would learn the ways of the new era; his stomach churned at the thought of such early corruption (of the innocent!) and he believed that death was certainly more suitable. At least then he wouldn't be kept awake at night by the idea that in a few years his baby girl would grow into a woman who fought for the Fire Lord and his twisted beliefs.

He planned to go after them all from the inside, from their secrets fears - he would attack what they cared about first, and _then, _by destroying the earthbender (oh, how he had plans for _that _one), he would begin his cycle of destruction on the warrior. With him taken care of, the waterbender would come next. Once he had taken all of them down, tortured them from the inside out, he would already be well on his way to the internal demise of the Avatar.

He wouldn't kill Aang. That would be stupid. He would simply settle for the next best thing: Make him wish he _was_ dead. If you break a man's spirit, then you have broken the man himself, and this is what he intended to do.

The man disappeared into the confines of the dwelling. The empty cage of his messenger hawk (it was the same one he'd had since he was fourteen, and had been his closest companion ever since) sat atop a rickety wooden table in one corner of the main room. Having just walked inside, against the wall opposite from him was a desk.

Upon the desk were several rolled up scrolls. One, however, was sprawled out the entire length of the piece of furniture; strange symbols of a dead language lined the top of the scroll, and the body of the scroll was a map of the world. In the corners were symbols designating the four nations, and a single white line was drawn from each symbol connecting to the northernmost region of the Southern Air Temple. Above this island was another symbol, this one of a light blue diamond; it's borders were lined with gold (not yellow, but a true, shimmering _gold_, untouched by time and handling). Above _this, _written in a more recent (but still quite old) script in white letters that looked quite beautiful written over the blue of the ocean, were the words, _"Four nations, one people." _

The other scrolls held secrets of deciphering the words written at the top, secrets describing what the scroll's contents entailed, secrets that told of what power one held when one unlocked everything about the secret as old as history itself.

The man's name, Kanaye, could be translated to "zealous one." This he certainly was; one would have had to be, if one aspired to cause an ancient race to rise again among the world governed by the Avatar and be the most powerful person in the world.

The Avatar, in fact, had come from this race of super-benders; they had been called the Shinsei, meaning "pure." They had been able to bend each element in its purest form. They did not, however, have the benefits of the Avatar State (among other things, though Kanaye still had much to learn about the Shinsei; that isn't to say he _would_ before awakening them).

His plan was already being put into effect: The deaths of important figures (and the rising of his own allies into their places), the discomfort of the Fire Lord, the scroll with the secret to _world domination _(a cliché phrase, certainly, but oh-so appropriate). It wouldn't be long. No, his wait was nearly over - soon he would begin making his way to a coastal Earth Kingdom city in which he would exchange words and key items of the expensive to borderline _priceless_ variety, and then he could begin his journey to that northernmost region of the Southern Air Temple, where he was sure his destiny awaited.

---

Author's Note: In case you're wondering, Kanaye is pronouced "Kuh-nahye." Second syllable rhymes with eye. Next chapter we pick up with the Gaang, so stay tuned!


	2. Birthday Hospitalities

Author's Note: Writer's block. End of semester madness. Blah.

Also, I believe I stated in the previous chapter that the Avatar descended from the Shinsei. I made a mistake; this is not the case in the story, nor anywhere else I am readily able to name. I did change that part of the first chapter, for future reference.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, 'cause if I did, The Day of Black Sun would have been screwed up completely, to say the least.

Chapter 2: Birthday Hospitalities

New Omashu was the agreed meeting place of the Avatar and his closest allies, so this was where Aang and Katara were now; they'd been there for the past week or so. Aang and Bumi had been catching up, and Katara, feeling oppressed by the palace walls and annoyed by the maids, often took to stealing away into the city when she had free time (which was often, considering that the only thing to do in the house was sew and admire the tapestries, neither of which Katara cared to indulge in for longer than absolutely necessary).

As the days passed, Aang became more and more restless. He was anticipating Toph and Sokka's arrival, and, for the past three afternoons, he'd stood on the narrow earthen path just outside of the city's great walls; Katara had not joined him, believing that Toph and Sokka would certainly not come early, if even _on time_, and that missing dinner was an injustice to both their host and her stomach.

It was the fourth evening of Aang's eager anticipation of Toph and Sokka. He stood before the city gates, oblivious of the fact that he was being studied by the single guard on duty. His eyes were intensely focused on the high ledge directly in front of the path, and his mind was in another place entirely; his complete distraction was the reason he jumped when he felt a hand touch his shoulder, though he stilled almost immediately upon the realization of the identity of the person to whom that hand was attached.

"You're a little tense," Katara murmured. She drew her hand away slowly, deliberately; she didn't appreciate the way Aang seemed not to hear her, the way he gazed out into the mountainous horizon with as little intention of leaving as he had of walking off the cliff.

Aang didn't want to go. It would be infinitely more gratifying to see Toph's and Sokka's silhouettes rise in the midst of the mountains, rise upon that cliff ahead of the city, than to see them framed in a doorway crowded by servants. However, he had no way of explaining this to Katara because he had no way of expressing his feelings without the probability of her calling him ridiculous.

The Avatar scrunched his bare toes upon the hard ground of the path, standing as steadily silent as a statue. He wouldn't speak for fear of having an argument with Katara, because if they had an argument, he knew he would lose. All hope of his remaining on the path rested with his being silent.

Katara sighed. Why wouldn't he speak to her? Why wouldn't he defend his reasoning? Perhaps she just wanted to hear him speak, see him do _anything. _Aang wasn't a somber person by nature, and he was only acting this way because he knew that she wanted him to return to the palace. Of course, that didn't explain why he wouldn't speak, or why he wouldn't join her.

"Bumi's going to be disappointed if you miss his birthday dinner," Katara said, deciding to take initiative. "That's part of the whole reason he invited you here – so you two could celebrate his birthday together. Doesn't leaving him to his own dinner seem a little inconsiderate?" She didn't speak harshly, not wanting to receive an angry reaction. Instead, her voice expressed the purest disappointment.

Aang frowned. "Bumi understands why I'm here," he told her, hoping that she would understand, too. She understood so much, but when it came to something like this – something that seemed so trivial, so utterly _ridiculous – _she couldn't comprehend his reasoning. His eyes never left the cliff above the city, hoping beyond hope that his friends would appear there.

As though the Spirits heard his plea, two familiar figures rose to the top of the cliff overlooking the city gates. A grin broke his face as he said, "Katara, look up there."

Katara followed his pointing finger to Toph and Sokka, descending now. Toph earthbended a wide, steady earthen path straight to Aang and Katara, and Sokka, becoming more distinct by the second, waved in excitement.

"I knew they'd be here," Aang said, more to himself than to Katara, though she felt the statement was directed at her. Katara said nothing; the bubble of frustration that had risen in her chest when Aang had refused to return to the palace disappeared as happiness took its place.

Toph and Sokka reached their friends and each pair stood for a moment, contemplating each other. Everyone was lost in a moment of sizing the others up, determining how they'd fared since they'd last been all together. Each was healthy and content.

"So… if I'm not mistaken, we have a birthday dinner to attend," Katara murmured.

"_I_ hope you're not mistaken," Toph grinned, stepping forward. "We left a day early and woke up a few hours before dawn this morning so we could make it. Didn't we, Snoozles?"

He allowed himself an expression that rested somewhere between annoyance and cheerfulness, if such a thing was possible. "Here we are, me robbed of my beauty sleep and Toph as insane as ever."

"Well, you made good timing," Aang remarked. "Now c'mon, we have a birthday feast to eat!"

-Sometime Later-

"…So I said to him, I said, 'Well, how would _you _like it if a fire-breathing panther-bear destroyed _your _family history!' And you know what he said to me?"

"What?" Toph asked, banging her fist on the table and laughing a little in anticipation for the answer.

"'I'm certainly not to blame if you let fire-breathing panther-bears eat your family heritage;' I think he believes they exist even today. Needless to say, I got past _that _guy without him saying another word to me except about that panther-bear. But what you might not know is that he felt so bad about making a comment about my great-grandmother, I got total access to the main delivery building! And that, Toph, is when I first got to ride the city delivery system."

"You're a genius, Bumi," Toph told him, grinning as widely as the storyteller.

Sokka raised a skeptical eyebrow. "That's a really elaborate plan just to ride some chutes," he told him.

Bumi looked at the warrior. "Well, sure, I could've just jumped in one whenever I wanted, but I had to ruffle that young man's feathers. He had said the same thing about Aang's great-grandmother…" Bumi trailed off, allowing them all to see why he'd chosen to mess with him. Toph thought Bumi's plan of retaliation was terribly clever, if not utterly stupid in the most positive way.

There was silence around the table for a few brief moments in which Toph took the time to take a few bites of her food. Sokka'd already had seconds (and thirds, and fourths) by the time she'd barely been able to touch her meal. Listening to Bumi distracted all of her attention, and, as the birthday boy, he told almost all of the stories.

Suddenly Toph felt a woman rush to the door. "Wonder what her hurry is," she murmured, gesturing toward the threshold over which the woman was entering.

"King Bumi, I'm incredibly sorry to interrupt your birthday dinner," the woman apologized, approaching the king hurriedly. Bumi waved a hand to gesture that he didn't mind in the slightest. "Sir, you have an unscheduled visitor who says that you invited him…?"

"Ah! Yes, yes… I wasn't expecting him quite so early, but you can let him in."

"Are you sure, Sir? He looks like a really suspicious character, and he refuses to remove his cloak. The guards are sure that he has something to hide."

"Oh, he has something to hide, all right," Bumi replied, still grinning. "Yes, I invited him. He's a part of my private little celebration, and he's here to talk politics with the rest of us. Bring him in."

As though on cue, two guards, one on each side of the mysterious figure in question, brought him in and let go of him. The figure said nothing; Bumi dismissed the servant and guards with another wave of his hand, and they left, albeit reluctantly.

"Glad to see you could join us," Bumi remarked. "You can take off that hood of yours now. They're gone."

The figure removed the hood shielding his face from view. Everyone already figured who it was (and Toph knew beforehand anyway, for his heartbeat and breathing patterns were usually flushed and hurried, and they were always recognizable), but a hush had fallen around the table anyway as the piece of cloth fell back.

"Good to see you, Zuko," Katara said, offering him a small smile. Bumi gestured to the chair beside Sokka for the newcomer, and he took his appointed seat, his figure stiff with wariness.

"You have… sufficient security," Zuko allowed himself to say. "I don't plan on eating, so you can save your dishes, food, and other birthday hospitalities; I'm here strictly on business, as is the reason you invited me."

Toph huffed. "Can't we save politics until tomorrow? It _is _Bumi's birthday, and besides, we were having fun. Leave it to Sparky to ruin the mood."

"Actually," Bumi said, "Fire Lord Zuko's right. My birthday was as good an excuse as any to conduct political affairs, however secretive; and these are perhaps the most secretive kind, are they not, Zuko?" The king seemed too gleeful about political affairs, and it was obvious that it made the Fire Lord at least a little uncomfortable.

Zuko nodded. "I had to come here, both for security reasons and for the fact that the problem is right here in the Earth Kingdom. We're here to share information, and tomorrow, we'll leave." He gestured to Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph. "We five will travel from here to the coastal city of Kutan. There we'll secure the harbor and, if we're not too late, stop the problem before it begins. If we _are _too late… we'll have to take the air bison to the Southern Air Temple."

"Wait a second, what's going on?" Toph demanded. "I knew we'd have a new mission, but before we do _anything, _I think we deserve to know what you're talking about." Aang nodded, and Katara and Sokka followed his lead.

Zuko sighed wearily and rubbed his brow. "It's not as simple as an explanation. I could tell you – I could tell you every single thing I know about the current situation, but it wouldn't be sufficient enough to satisfy your curiosities. Even I… I'm just speculating, Toph." He rarely used her name, and when he did give her that one bit of human acknowledgement, she knew he was serious. He turned his head to gaze at the earthbender, knowing that she could feel the movement through vibrations in the floor but also knowing that she wouldn't react to the gesture. There was an intensity in his eyes, eyes that would have bore into anyone else's and would have had a mind-numbing effect on them but were wasted on a blind girl.

Toph knew that he was giving her a look that was supposed to make her understand, but in a way her blindness made her a hard person because what so strongly affected most people had no effect on her.

"What _do _you know?" Sokka asked, wanting to calm the tension building up within the room.

Zuko glanced at Sokka for a brief moment, then at King Bumi. "Only as much as I can guess in addition to what's told in stories." Everyone was looking at him, willing him to continue. "There has been a series of deaths between many high-ranking nobles in a short period of time. The nobles' heritages are divided among each nation. My advisors would think I'm making more out of the deaths than I should be, but I think I'm on to something."

At Zuko's pause, King Bumi offered him a solemn but encouraging nod.

The Fire Lord took a deep, shaky breath, and then continued. "My father was well acquainted with very few people. One of these was Kanaye, now a criminal charged with treason…" His eyes diverted to the table. "We never should have done it, never should have gone through with it…"

Toph gasped. "I knew I'd heard that name before! He was the man that your dad kept closer than… closer than any advisor, or almost anyone. They were almost considered friends, before the Fire Lord's death. At least, that's what you said."

"Yes," Zuko agreed. "They were… close, in a manner of speaking. Of course, if someone was close to Father, they were close to Azula. After Father's death, she began the first stages of her rebellion – recruitment. Kanaye was one of the few contacts she had after the war, and he was her source of power, in a way. She was always her own source of power, but he was her contacts, her resources, her everything for the rebellion. She didn't need him to write her speeches, but, with what little wealth that he had kept, he spent money for her plans.

"Before Kanaye became partners with Azula, he was driven over the edge by the death of his family. We… my soldiers killed his wife and teenage son, and the baby girl was taken and slipped into an orphanage somewhere." Zuko had buried his face in his hands. "I don't understand what came over me when I sent out those orders…"

The earthbender stiffened slightly in her seat at the information. "You killed them?" she demanded, rising from her chair. "I… you asked me to find them, and I found them. I found them so that they could be killed." She gulped, her eyes seemingly staring hard at her half-full plate of food. She felt violated, hated the fact that she'd been taken advantage of. She felt _used._

"Yes, they were killed," Zuko snapped, inhaling quickly but unsteadily. "Kanaye was spared. It was his punishment: the death of his family. They weren't innocent, so don't think it. They'd each committed one crime or another, and all against the nation. They were to die anyway." His voice became softer as his words progressed, and he murmured the last words with an air of finality. His words, sharp as knives, cut his listeners.

Toph took her seat and found it hard to swallow. Other than the occasional gulp of air, she made no motion to show that she was affected by the news.

"It was inhuman, it was cruel, I'll admit," Zuko told her, his voice losing the sharp edge. "But what I think he's planning is far crueler."

"What… what do you think he's planning?" Katara asked.

Zuko refused to look her in the eye. "Kanaye wants to make the Shinsei rise again," he told her.

"What're the Shinsei?" Sokka inquired, putting an arm around Toph's waist in a feeble attempt to comfort her. He expected her to hit him. She didn't.

"The Shinsei," Zuko said after a pause, giving them an odd look, "are a race of benders that supposedly existed a long, long time ago, even before the Avatar. They're our ancestors, essentially. They can bend all four elements, but no denominations – like, they can't bend blood, or metal or anything. Only pure forms of each element. Also, since they're basically suffering from some form of mind-control – I say that because they have to follow the wishes of whoever awakens them – they don't understand error. If they fail, they don't learn from it, comprehend it… It's not _failure. _It's just a bump in the road, and they'll keep going, heedless of complications." Zuko took a moment to breathe.

"What's more, they don't have emotions. That part's complicated; they're supposed to be capable of emotion, but it's nearly impossible to access that part of them. The ability to bend each element occupies a lot of their mental function, and so emotion is practically nonexistent. They're sort of like the Avatar, but while Aang can bend all four elements, he is also capable of emotion."

"So it's basically a race of Avatars, except that emotion and fault part?" Sokka continued.

Zuko shook his head, taking an opportunity to lift his eyes from the table. "No, not really. They don't have the Avatar State or chakras that need to be kept flowing, or a special connection with the Spirit World or anything. It's just that they bend all four elements."

"Okay," Aang said, "that's weird. But I want to know how you know all of this – how do you know what Kanaye's planning to do?"

"My father allowed Kanaye access into the royal library. He took some scrolls related to the Shinsei; he probably took some other scrolls so that he could decipher the language, but I don't know about that. I just know that he took the Shinsei scrolls out of our library because I found them in his things – they had the seal of the royal library on them. At the time I figured Father had loaned them to him, but now I realize that he probably stole them all that time ago." Zuko exhaled slowly, wallowing in the regret of not telling anyone about Kanaye's seemingly petty thefts.

Sokka murmured, "I still don't understand how Kanaye's supposed to benefit from this."

"I'm not sure. Legend says – but you know how legends go - that the Shinsei are supposed to consider whoever awakens them as the supreme ruler of everything, so they're supposed to obey him as long as they don't have access to their emotions. With emotion comes choice." Zuko frowned at his audience. "I know Kanaye wants power. I don't know what kind, how much, or what he's willing to do to get it, but I know that's what he's after, and if he was such good acquaintances with my Father and Azula, I'd say he's going for everything – world domination, to be blunt. To do that, he'll have to dispose of a bunch of people, but with the Shinsei, that shouldn't be difficult. I don't even know how many can be awakened, but it doesn't matter – once Kanaye awakens the Shinsei, we'll hardly have a chance against him. That's why we're going to the harbor tomorrow; we're going to try to stop him before his plan even fully starts."

The table was silent, everyone lost in contemplation. Then: "Well, how about some dessert?"

The king smiled eagerly at his guests, hoping that they would indulge in something sweet before heading off into their quarters. Each declined – well, all except Sokka, who always had room in his stomach for one more serving. He didn't smile (why break the somber mood?), but instead simply inclined his head toward King Bumi, who immediately gestured for Zuko to turn up his hood in preparation for further company. Zuko complied.

"Dessert for two, if you please!" Bumi exclaimed.

A maid appeared a moment later. She simply stuck her head through the doorway and said, "Two, you say?" A nod from Bumi confirmed that number, and she was gone again.

A few minutes later, a servant appeared with two bowls of what appeared to be a foreign type of pudding. Both Sokka and King Bumi ate as though ravenous while the rest of the table sat in silence.

"There's one more thing I want to know," Toph said, voice quieter than usual.

Everyone, including the two eaters, silenced; they didn't know to whom she was speaking, as she didn't indicate by looking at her target. "Mm-hm?" Katara prompted.

"Zuko – how come you have to wear that cloak thing?"

The slight tension that had built up in the moments since Toph had spoken was released. "I wear it," Zuko told her, standing from the table, "because I don't want them to know I'm here. As far as anyone outside this room is concerned, I'm taking a temporary lapse in my responsibilities to a remote island off the coast of the Fire Nation. My guards would go crazy if they knew I was here, with Earth Kingdom security – no offense, of course," he added, giving a small nod to the king. Bumi nodded in return, indicating that no offense was taken. "You do have decent security, Sir."

"I understand your guards, son," Bumi told him, a smile blooming on his face. "Earth Kingdom security isn't what it should be – I've been able to sneak out of here six times this month to ride the delivery chutes without being caught! But they are serious about intruders. I suppose it's more difficult entering than leaving."

Bumi, finished with his dessert, stood up. With a wink and a smile to his guests, he gestured toward the hall down which the previous servant had disappeared, and said, "Good night!"


	3. Vulnerability

Author's Note: This chapter contains Toph-based insight. There is also a great deal of bonding with Bumi. Also, new chapter format. Yep, I actually warned you that time. 

Disclaimer: If I owned Avatar, Mai and Ty Lee would have joined Zuko when he left to join the Avatar. Since they didn't, I guess I don't own Avatar.

_---_

_Chapter 3: Vulnerability_

_---_

Toph was wide awake before the first rays of sunlight thought to peek over the horizon. She sat on a small group of rocks on the outskirts of the palace grounds, her pale, opaque eyes gazing at nowhere in particular, though in the general direction of the sunrise. The breeze lazily tousled her hair, but there was no other movement; she scarcely breathed, too deep in thought.

Toph had mixed feelings about the adventure ahead. Really, the Shinsei sounded like something out of a storybook, like something from a regaling fantasy tale – not something in life, _real life, _where people had emotions and felt things freely. She would never admit it, but she both envied and pitied them – never to know sorrow, but never to know love and friendship. They would never know anything worth living, really. It was depressing.

Certainly, she had a slight curiosity – how could anyone besides the Avatar bend more than one element? It had never seemed possible. She had never even considered the fact that there were people who could _bend _earth and air together, water and fire simultaneously but were thought of as everyday humans with no special properties. How could such bending not be thought of as special (because certainly it could not, as everyone would have been able to bend all elements; a bender with a single element would have been an oddity, perhaps a freak)? What's more, how could someone be human but not _feel? _Didn't that simply make them _inhuman – _wasn't being deprived of emotion the same thing as being deprived of humanity? Of course, if they could still be considered human with a lack of emotion, they _couldn't _be thought of as the same species as those who had faults – such were humans, and the Shinsei, with only the capacity to follow the orders of he or she who had awakened them, were not able to make their own errors or be conscious of mistakes. They were robots, unfeeling and incapable of true fault.

These facts, while intriguing and thought-provoking, also instilled in them – Toph probably most of all, though this would join the list of things she'd never admit – _fear, _however dark and unspoken, though certainly not unfounded. How was it possible to fight enemies with no ability to feel remorse? Azula had been incapable of such feelings – or so they'd all thought. She'd always projected that persona, anyway, but she had always been human and had always been capable of feeling. She had set goals, had made plans, and had been ambitious and industrious. She had always had the ability to be _inspired. _An enemy with a face but nothing behind it – no real mind, no real thoughts, no real desires – seemed like an adversary of a darker kind. Azula's evil had been human. This evil was everything but, and it was frightening.

Even when deeply delved in her thoughts, Toph was aware of her surroundings – she rarely got so lost in her own mind that she didn't focus on the world around her. When a voice broke her train of thought, she wasn't surprised, and she even sort of welcomed human companionship at the time. Thinking about the mission ahead had left her a little in need of human contact.

"You're up quite early," Bumi remarked.

Toph turned toward him – he had approached behind her, from the direction of the palace – and nodded.

He smiled, though the expression was not one of his usual giddy ones. This time he seemed simply content with the world, like he appreciated the morning more than most people. He probably did. "Care to take a walk with me?" he asked her. "It's a crisp morning, and I'd rather like some company, if you wouldn't mind."

Toph smiled, too. Hers was much like his, and this seemed to please him; she got down from her perch and approached him, her gait more poised than usual. It _was _a nice, crisp morning, come to think of it – she hadn't given the dawn a second thought, but Bumi drew her attention away from the gloominess in her thoughts and toward one of Mother Nature's finest sunrises.

"It_ is_ a nice morning," Toph commented, making the first of many statements during their trek.

Bumi nodded leisurely. "Yes, I should say it is." He paused, then, as though finished considering it, he murmured, "As an ignorant sightseer, it occurs to me to wonder how you know to value such mornings as these." He had spoken carefully, allowing a slight lilt to enter his voice as he said the words. He had not meant anything in a bad way – he was just curious, and he hoped to convey this as effectively as possible.

Under almost all other circumstances, Toph might have buried the idiot who asked her such a question. Of course, King Bumi was no idiot, and had phrased the question carefully and in no way offensively, at least not in her opinion. She liked that about him – his eccentricity, his insanity, yet his complexity and his obvious talent at the art of conversation. She would have accepted the question from Sokka, too, or Aang or Katara, or even Zuko – though Katara might think it incredibly impolite to ask such a thing, while Sokka and Aang knew her a little better than to think such a thing _rude. _Sokka did, at least, and Aang was careless enough to ask it, if ever the opportunity presented itself. It hadn't, yet.

Toph let out a breath before responding. "I can…" Toph paused, not wanting to go further. She liked Bumi – he was a fellow earthbender, had a nice personality, and was the most unusual person she'd ever witnessed – but she felt like telling him something like that would be too personal, would be displaying too much vulnerability. Perhaps she had subjected herself to this by being out in the morning, by being in the wrong place in the wrong time, but she didn't want to pursue the topic.

Bumi waited patiently, allowing her time to gather her thoughts.

"I don't know color, and I don't know what the sunrise _looks _like," Toph said, deciding that it was okay for the moment. The situation allowed her to be as personal as she needed. "I know what the sunrise _feels_ like – I know the feel of morning dew on my feet, and I appreciate it. I know the feel of the first rays of sunlight hitting my face, and I appreciate it. I know the feel of the moisture in the air, of the early morning breezes, and I appreciate them." She took a moment to pause, to inhale the morning scents. This seemed to be an explanation in itself to Bumi, and she seemed to know this. "I can hear the birds in the morning; I can hear the waves lapping the bank or the cliff when we're near water… There's always a picture in my head, but I think it has more details than people who get pictures of the dawn with their eyes. Most people who can see – I don't think they can value it properly. I like my way better, but I guess that'd be different if I were born with sight."

Bumi seemed to contemplate this, and after a few minutes of deep thought, he nodded. "I believe you are right. I also believe that your sort of appreciation for nature has more to do with the type of person you are than your sightlessness, though I suppose the latter has helped you develop _into_ the former." Another pause. Then: "Interesting."

Toph nodded, feeling only slightly uncomfortable but uncomfortable nonetheless. She agreed with Bumi, but it felt weird to hear him say these things; he was so strange, yet so wise. Such an intricate balance appealed to her, but she couldn't quite figure out why; she decided that this was not altogether a bad thing.

"So Aang tells me that you and Sokka are an item, hm?" Bumi murmured, changing the subject.

Toph blushed, just a little. "Yes," she said firmly, as though the reply were as definite as if it was written in the hardest stone.

"Quite a thinker, that one," Bumi said approvingly. "I quite like him. He has a good appetite, too." The king let out a good laugh, and Toph smiled. Bumi, calming, continued. "Aang's told me quite a lot about that warrior, what I haven't learned for myself; he's told me that he is a master of planning and ideas, and that while he has his insecure moments, he's quite the hero. Took a blast of fire for you during the Fire Nation rebellion, didn't he?"

Toph nodded. She seemed to direct her blind eyes toward the ground with conviction now. Not with pride, for she felt embarrassed of the fact that she hadn't been able to defend herself, but not with shame, either, for she was thankful of the fact that Sokka had saved her.

"Aang also tells me," Bumi continued, noticing the change in her gaze, "that _you _are quite a warrior yourself, and a hero to be respected and revered. You ran away from home, didn't you?"

The question took Toph by surprise. She nodded, again neither proudly nor shamefully; her reply seemed rather indifferent, though she was actually quite unsettled. She simply held it well.

"And you taught the Avatar earthbending. Quite an honor, though I'm sure it was a difficult task." Bumi grinned. "Aang was never the type to keep his feet on the ground."

"Not in all the time I've known him," Toph agreed.

Bumi allowed a short pause of silence to envelop them, and then he spoke again. "You also see with vibrations," he stated.

"Aang tell you that, too?"

"No." Bumi shook his head. "You're simply quite detailed and sensitive to the earth around you to the point that it is an extension of you; the connection is easy to see. Besides, you also give hints – last night, when you felt the Ling, the servant, rushing down the hall -, and you saying that the picture you get in your head – the picture you get of nature – is more detailed than the pictures other people get in their heads confirmed by suspicions, as far as I was concerned."

Toph smiled, one of the most genuine expressions she'd given since she'd arrived in New Omashu. She prided herself in having such a strong connection with her element, and the fact that Bumi noticed made her swell with satisfaction.

"So, Toph," Bumi said, taking a long, slow breath, "I believe you were in deep thought when you were on top of the Eastern Rock Formation. Am I correct in stating this?"

"I guess so," Toph conceded. She frowned, not liking where Bumi was taking her speech-wise; in her own mind, however, she was decidedly unable to do anything but go with the flow of conversation.

Bumi nodded knowingly. "Mind sharing what topic is imposing enough to occupy your thoughts so deeply?"

Toph shrugged nonchalantly. "Nah, I don't mind, really." She stopped, and Bumi nodded encouragingly. "Well…"

"Take your time as you need it," Bumi allowed, taking steps with as much leisure as Toph thought humanly possible. It was probably meant to set her at ease, but the fact that she realized this made her more discomfited.

Toph exhaled slowly. "Well, can I ask you something first?"

"Of course. Go on," Bumi allowed easily, seeming to become more pleased with every passing moment. Toph thought this strange, but had no further opinion of it, as it _was_ Bumi.

"Are the Shinsei considered human?" Toph asked. She kicked a small stone that was positioned in the direct center of her path and waited for Bumi's response.

"That… is debatable, of course," Bumi told her, choosing his words carefully. He seemed to like the question posed to him. "No one knows for sure about such a thing as a fact, but I'll tell you what I think." He paused for the purpose of suspense. "I think the answer is yes, they are human."

"How?" Toph asked immediately. She felt affronted by his response, having figured that surely he would agree with her. Everything considered, how_ could_ they be thought of as human?

Bumi chuckled. "How could you not?" he inquired, grinning broadly.

Toph gathered her thoughts. "They can't _feel _anything," she said, sounding as though she were assuring herself of the statement. "They don't have any capacity for mistakes. They don't understand anything except the orders of the person who awakens them – they feel no guilt, no pride, no hate or love or _anything, _and if they make a mistake, they keep going without being conscious of it, if I understand right. Besides, they're like, immortal or something. They get _awakened_. That's definitely not human."

"You're right about the fact that personal error is not _initially_ a part of the make-up of the Shinsei, but wrong when it comes to emotion. They _do _have the capacity to feel; it simply takes something incredibly strong to unlock the ability. I think that this is very human. People can be guarded about their emotions, and sometimes it takes something strong to make them feel again."

"_Again_. Do you hear yourself? The Shinsei do not feel. _Period. _There is no again to it, is there?"

"Ah, but there is. They were a living race, once, and capable of emotions like you or I. History hasn't exactly been kind to them, now, has it?"

"No, I don't guess – of course, I don't know much about their history. But none of that explains error or immortality," Toph snapped.

"Untrue. Once emotion is unlocked, the capacity for error is, as well; as for being mortal, the Shinsei can be killed, just like you or I. I am unfamiliar with what steps it took to condemn them to where they are to be awakened from, but I'm sure it has something to do with the Spirits, and I am prepared to defend my belief that the Spirits have frozen time on the Shinsei people and have sentenced them to a life of servitude upon being awakened unless they themselves can unblock whatever is causing them to disregard feeling. This is an opinionated theory, and I have little understanding of the history of the Shinsei. You are free to think as you will, as am I." Bumi still grinned vivaciously, but all traces of a friendly expression had fled Toph's face, leaving her expression grave.

"Bumi," Toph said finally, still looking solemn, "I think you've got something there. Sort of. I don't think it makes sense, but neither does anything else that's happened within the past few hours." She adopted a thoughtful expression. "But that doesn't sound as insane as other things I've heard, so maybe you're on the right track."

"I should think so, but these things are my opinions, and if I were to be the judge, surely they'd be correct. As it is, however, they aren't necessarily. There aren't many people, if any, who know for sure." Bumi glanced in the direction of the sun's ascent; it seemed as though they had been walking for hours, but by the looks of the sun's position, it wasn't nearly so long.

The night before, Zuko had visited everyone's room and had declared that they would take leave of New Omashu at daybreak. At the moment he was probably trying to get Aang and Sokka into morning routines; Katara had probably awakened soon after Toph and was almost surely finished with everything she needed to do before they left. She would be looking for Toph, but not _searching; _most likely she would simply be keeping an eye out for the earthbender while she kept Zuko from shooting fireballs at Sokka. Aang had the ability to rise early, even if he didn't always enjoy it; Sokka, however, had to be threatened with his life or at least experience some sharp pain or surprise to get him to open his eyes and greet the day.

Toph allowed the ghost of a smile to pass over her at the thoughts, and Bumi, noticing, slightly nodded.

"I suppose you should be getting ready to leave, then," Bumi told her. "I'll see you off, but for now I think I'll walk a little more." He nodded again, this time directly to her, and she reluctantly turned to leave. She opened her mouth for one final comment, but whatever words she had intended to say were lost on her lips. With a lift of her hand in a gesture of farewell, she turned toward the palace; she advanced toward it with purpose, though not altogether without leisure. Bumi watched her go, feeling more content with the morning than he could remember feeling in quite a long time.

-A While Later-

"How in the name of… the Avatar… is any of this possible?" Sokka demanded, practically shoveling his eggs into his mouth. "I mean," he continued, spluttering slightly and earning himself a reprimanding expression from Katara, "it contradicts every law of nature! What about science? Has the world gone insane since Toph and I left Ba Sing Se?"

"_Please _don't talk with your mouth full," Katara told him, grimacing.

"I'm _sorry, _but none of this makes any sense. And – and where have you been? I've been burned, slapped, nearly smothered, and my sister even had the nerve to throw a bucket of water on me. And you know what? Not only all of that, but I had no idea where you were. You could have been eaten by one of those nonexistent fire-breathing panther-bears, for all I know. After everything else that's been said since Zuko joined us at dinner last night, I think it isn't half as crazy as it would have sounded two days ago."

Toph, who was just walking in, said, "I've been walking with Bumi."

It was a simple answer, and he accepted it with no further comments. Katara murmured something that sounded like a good-morning to Toph, and then said to her brother, "For the last time, you weren't burned. Fire wasn't even involved. And again, the smothering was your own doing. It's not my fault Bumi gave us fluffy pillows, and I had nothing to do with the fact that you buried your face in yours after Zuko 'burned' you." She used air quotes around_ burned_ and rolled her eyes.

"But you still slapped him and poured water on him." Toph rolled her eyes as well. "Ah, the joy of sisters."

"He wouldn't get_ up_. You know how hard it is to wake him up – you traveled from Ba Sing Se to here, and I know you wouldn't let him sleep in."

"I've got the bruises to prove it," Sokka grumbled, nodding his head slightly.

Katara gave the couple an annoyed look and briefly wondered where Aang and Zuko were. _Where _could those two have gotten off to? Anyplace, certainly. Katara just hoped that Aang was being as discreet as possible in the city limits. Hopefully he hadn't taken Zuko on the delivery system, but knowing Aang, she probably wasn't in luck. Sure, Zuko was capable and could take care of himself, but once Aang got set on something, few could deter his intentions.

"So what were you going on about before I came in, anyway?" Toph asked, taking the seat beside Sokka. Katara had already fixed her a plate of breakfast, and Toph quickly began clearing it while she waited for Sokka's answer.

"I was saying – right. You know all that stuff Zuko said last night? About there being a race of so-called super-benders, or whatever?"

"Mm-hm," Toph mumbled, spooning a food with a rather runny composition into her mouth.

"Well, what about science? Has every single sense-making fact been thrown out the window, here?" He took a moment to take another bite of his breakfast, and Toph, still eating as well, waited for him to continue. "How can this entire mission be anything but a stupid joke?"

"It's not a joke. But this is the first I've heard of all this – why didn't you say anything last night? You seemed to just accept it. Everyone felt like they did."

"I was… I was tired, you know? _And _I was starving. I hadn't had a good meal in ages. Hunger makes me do crazy things, like forget to defend the laws of science. None of it is possible. End of story."

Toph put down her fork and sighed. "Maybe… maybe it's not so far-fetched."

Sokka gave her an extremely surprised, terribly skeptical look. Katara simply nodded in agreement. "I think Toph's right. I mean, it is kind of crazy, but there's always a possibility, right?"

"No!" Sokka huffed, annoyed.

Katara took this moment to try and defend her opinion. "There are a lot of things that don't make sense, you know. _Bending _doesn't make a whole lot of sense, if you think about it." She glanced at Toph, then Sokka again. "Science can't explain how firebenders can conjure up a flame out of nothing. Science can't explain why I don't even have to touch the water to bend it – I mean, I don't even have to see it!"

"Of course bending doesn't make sense, but at least it sort of does! I'm… used to bending. It doesn't seem nearly as crazy as it is anymore. But how could you even think that – how can it – Katara, you've always been a little insane. Remember, you thought that Wu lady could actually tell the future. But Toph, how could _you _think that there's even a word of possibility in any of this?"

Toph pursed her lips. "Bumi–"

"Agh! I knew it was him. King Bumi and his… weirdness."

"Oh, Sokka," Katara chastised, "you're not in any place to call anyone weird, and anyway, he's a very wise man. Not everything he says is a made-up tale, you know."

"I know! I mean, I know he's wise and all – I'm not saying he's not, I swear, and I respect him, believe me – but come _on! _ Look what he's doing to Toph. He's corrupting her, for Spirit's sake!"

Katara opened her mouth, but she noticed that Toph was burning to say something, and she hushed.

"He's not corrupting me," Toph said, her voice reaching dangerously low levels. "Maybe, if you spent some time with him instead of criticizing him – maybe if you even tried to get to know him – you would know that. And maybe then you really _would _respect him." She dropped her silverware with a deafening clatter and stood up with such force that the table shook. "I'll be in my room. Come get me, Katara, when it's time to leave." With that, Toph walked out of the room, the hall's tiles clanging against each other with every furious step she took. She left a sulking Sokka and an indecisive Katara in her wake.

-_End Chapter_-

Author's Note: They'll leave next chapter. Toph's bonding with Bumi was crucial to the storyline, and its current purpose is to bring the problem into perspective, particularly for Toph and Sokka. :)


	4. Promising Destruction

**Author's Note: I worked on this thing for quite some time, and I'm **_**really **_**happy with the finished product. I hope you are, too!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I'm just not that amazing. **

_---_

_Chapter 4: Promising Destruction_

Toph originally went to her room, but she didn't stay there for very long.

The only thing she did when she reached the room was take off the armband she'd made of the meteorite Sokka had given to her before the war's end. She simply slipped it off and made it join the meager contents of her single satchel, and, even if she felt sort of empty without it on her arm, she found that the action was slightly gratifying, too.

She'd then left her room in search of entertainment. She figured a little earthbending would do her good, so she set off toward the outside practice grounds, which could be found in the southernmost reaches of the palace's property. It was certainly the best option, so that was where she busied herself.

"Not bad, Bumi," she murmured to herself. "Not bad at all." Before her was a grassless, treeless earthen plain. Several formations provided perfect targets, and she was slightly impressed – there were pillars, rock walls, places where the earth was soft and places where the earth was more solid; there was even a plot of sand that she could work with for more practice with that aspect of her element. It was a very, very large area with plenty of room to move and do as she pleased.

She was looking forward to practicing. Perhaps, however, it was her eagerness that caused her to overlook a slight anomaly in the trees at her side – the forest held the least of her attention, though this fact would prove to be dangerous in the near future.

"It looks like I've got the grounds to myself," she said, surveying the earthen field by means of vibrations. She grinned. "Sweet."

Toph lazily walked out toward the middle of the practice grounds and began to work. Digging her foot into the ground and thrusting the heel of her hand forward, she shot a boulder through a circle goal. She kicked her heel into the ground several times, creating slanted pillars; lifting her right foot and bringing it down with a fury, she shook the entire field. It felt good to have so much power and influence, and it felt wonderful to have her raw element beneath her feet. It sent strength rippling through her, and she continued to move with stunning accuracy. The energy flowed through her veins, originating in the earth and moving through her, giving her the power to perform the next set of moves.

She was in her element, was completely consumed by it; it was easy to see, and the single spectator took note of it. He watched her and easily recognized a master – the way she moved, with solidity yet with grace uncommon in most earthbenders; the way she relished each attack; the way she zoned into her element and controlled it fully and completely, leaving no room for it to control her. It _was _her, and the connection would be apparent to even the most oblivious individual.

However, her spectator was not oblivious in the least, and he noticed details that many others would not. Her focus was on the motion she was performing at the moment, and she did not realize he was there. The fact that she was blind might not be evident to just any passerby, but he could see it in her – not when she was bending, because all such abnormalities were masked when she was working with her element to the extent that even _he _would not be able to discern that she lacked sight, but when she was _not_ zoned in to the earth around her. She was hesitant, though just enough for keen eyes to notice; she was uncertain, though one who wasn't trained to detect such traits would argue against that fact. She was too headstrong for her almost imperceptible reluctance to be a product of inner diffidence. No – she was sightless, and it was a perfect explanation for one such as her.

The intelligent thing to do would be to wait until she was finished with her earthbending. The moment he stepped onto the earthen plain, she would know, and she would react – he knew this. However, he knew that his reflexes were quick and fluid, and he trusted his own physical ability to the extent that he figured that he would be able to make up for whatever edge her faint reluctance might give him.

Even so, he vainly wished that he was skilled in archery. Chances were something he couldn't afford; he had a job to do, and he had to do it without getting himself hurt in the process. A quick arrow to the calf would have pleased him, but only half of his assigned task would be complete. Leaving a note wasn't an option – she was blind; she couldn't read! Besides, written messages were evidence. Verbal words, however, spoken to the proposed target, were merely lost in the atmosphere – the perfect way to pass on a message. At least, it was the best way possible.

He inhaled a shuddering breath. He could wait no longer; despite his uncertainty at the fight ahead (sure, he had studied his opponent, but most of his observing had only discouraged him further), he had to get on with it. He prepared to leave his temporary refuge of the tree, attempting to come up with a plan but deciding that everything would come to him in due course.

He leapt from his shady perch and onto the barren wasteland of rock; he could not fight the surge of confidence that sped through his veins. No matter what the outcome, he always savored a good fight. Getting his task over with while staying unscathed might prove a challenge, but all doubts dissipated in a pre-battle high.

Toph whipped around as soon as his feet touched the ground. She frowned at the unfamiliar heartbeat, but she immediately recognized a challenger – a wave of nostalgia passed over her as she briefly remembered the Earth Rumble matches, remembered each contender's blood speeding up slightly, his arrogant stance, his probably ridiculously brave smirk that she could practically feel in the atmosphere.

Her frown passed, and her newest adversary took a few steps forward. She sucked in a startled breath when she recognized the light-footedness of a firebender, the bundled energy he held inside of him, pleading to be unleashed; she held a divine hatred for fire, for those who manipulated it, but she concealed it well in most cases. Now, however, she found it slightly difficult. There was something about the person in front of her that felt incredibly wrong – fighting him would be good, but she shouldn't hold back. He was dangerous, she was certain of that. It didn't matter how he had gotten past Bumi's security; he had, and he needed to be properly dealt with.

Without warning, the man twisted his wrist and pushed his right palm in her direction. A ball of fire erupted from his hand and shot forward with stunning speed. With barely enough time to react, Toph threw herself aside; she was on her feet immediately and attempted to trap his feet in a rock casing, but he leapt around, tossing dancing embers in her direction as he did so. He was constantly advancing in her direction.

She backed up a few steps and slammed her right foot into the ground pointedly. A pillar erupted a few feet in front of her; she brought her arms down in a forcible motion and the column collapsed back into the earth, sending tremors through the ground from that central point. This move unsteadied her opponent and he nearly fell; subsequently, her quickly composed flurry of earthen daggers certainly wasn't very helpful to him. Somehow he managed to maintain balance and, in one of the most fluid motions Toph had ever witnessed a firebender execute, he jumped up, spun in the air, and sent a swirl of fire her way.

_Show off, _she thought irritably.

He was terribly fast. She moved her arms and legs in two rigid motions, sweeping her arms to her sides after the movements were completed; their half of the battlefield was encompassed in a cloud of dirt and debris. She grinned wolfishly. _That'll slow him down. _

Indeed, fighting was made that much harder for Toph's adversary, but his other senses were just as refined as his eyesight. He stood, carefully listening for any signs of movement. Toph, hardly ever the first to make a move in a fight, waited.

Toph frowned. What in the world was he doing? Waiting for the dust to settle? Not wanting her cover to be a waste of time, she steadily approached his still figure, deciding that once she was close enough she would be able to perform a fairly strong attack.

She was about to be within ten feet of him. He could hear her quiet yet confident gait as she made her way toward him; he couldn't see her – he couldn't see much at all – but his ears perked up, and he shot a thread of flames in the direction of her footsteps.

She had little concept of fire. She thoroughly hated it, abhorred its weightlessness, its terrifying heat that had the inexplicable power to render her injured. How could something with so little substance be so destructive? She felt his foot move slightly, felt it give him strength for another attack, but she didn't understand it. How could he know where she was?

The blaze hit her just below her ribs. The power of it knocked the breath out of her, and the awful heat seared; the accuracy of the attack was stunning. How could he possibly have known where to direct the hit?

Deciding that she had underestimated him, she immediately knew that sneaking up on him wasn't an available option. She sidestepped, avoiding another ribbon of fire; pounding her foot to the earth, a boulder formed in front of her. She shot it at him, and he, mildly surprised, did not quite avoid the attack; it pounded into his shoulder, and he stumbled backward, slightly winded.

She took advantage of his single vulnerable moment. Nudging the earth with her heel at an angle, a slanted pillar popped up in front of her competitor, hitting him hard in his stomach; he was thrown back, landing face-up. She figured that this more than made up for his attack against her in the same area; after all, rock hit harder than fire, no matter the other destructive properties that flames had.

Her opponent pushed away from the ground, but she locked his feet into place so that he couldn't escape. No, he wasn't going anywhere, and he certainly wasn't going to elude her further; the swirl of debris had more or less settled, and she approached his struggling figure.

His feet were too close together and he couldn't steady himself well enough to make any reliable shots. Firebenders needed to have confident stances to attack; his strength had already eluded him, too, so that was another mark against him. Toph smirked, confidence running through her blood – she noticed the light catch in his breathing, the terribly slight pickup in his heartbeat. He was afraid.

"You challenged Toph Bei Fong, the greatest earthbender that ever lived, and you expected to actually have a chance?" She let out an amused laugh. "That – that's pretty funny. Really."

The man glared at her. His mind labored at stunning speeds – the gears in his brain worked overtime, whirring and spinning quicker than ever.

Her expression became serious. He could see the irritable lines in her face. She was certainly no stranger to pure rage, and he wondered if he had done enough to activate it within her; he doubted it. Usually that kind of anger only came when it was attached to some emotional trigger. "Who are you?" she demanded.

His mouth thinned sickeningly. He made no move to answer her; he simply continued working out his thoughts.

Toph's already intimidating frown defined, and she tightened the earthen shackles that bound his feet. He struggled to maintain a standing position, resisting the temptation of flailing his arms to keep balance; his legs were rigid, refusing to adhere to the action of falling.

"Why are you here?" she tried, finding herself more aggravated than she figured she should be. Perhaps anger from the morning still fueled her; perhaps it was merely the fact that he was a firebender. It could have even been the fact that he'd interrupted her practice, but that didn't seem likely – she'd been dying for something to do, someone to beat. A sick smile played on her lips; she hoped it would have the desired effect. "Talk or I'll crush the bones in your feet." She didn't really want to do that – but it seemed like a nice threat.

A contemplative silence followed. Toph exhaled slowly, purposefully; he was too quiet for her taste. He probably _deserved_ to have his feet crushed. She compressed her hands, and the stone casing tightened over his feet to the point that he felt nearly unbearable pain. Still, he refused to cry out.

When she relinquished her power on the rock surrounding his feet, he acted. Summoning certain strength reserves, he focused on his balance and punched in the direction of her legs. A ball of fire scorched her ankles and tops of her feet, putting her off guard for a brief moment.

He shot a similar hit at his own feet, sending just as strong of a blast of fire past his legs and into the earthen tomb that held his feet. He burned himself, but it was nothing he wasn't used to and couldn't deal with; the rock shattered, freeing him. He leapt up, stretching his legs and leaving her vision. He knew she would be beyond furious, and facing her wrath was something he desperately wanted to avoid.

He still had half of his task to accomplish. As he landed, he swept behind her, saying softly, "Kanaye sends his greetings."

Toph exhaled lividly. She tried her best to focus on him, but he was moving faster than any bender she'd ever witnessed, except perhaps Aang. She couldn't pinpoint his location, and what's more, he was speaking to her. How could she let him get close enough to talk to her? His voice, cold and sinister, sent chills through her body. This merely enraged her further.

He made a movement that she could just identify as conjuring a strong blast of fire. She lifted a wall around her, refusing to subject herself to further embarrassment and torture; she needed a moment to think. He was good, but surely she was better! She'd fought more worthy opponents than him. His agility simply gave him an advantage. He was certainly a strange fighter; why hadn't he used his speed to give him a lead at the very beginning?

She noticed that he was slowing down. Perhaps he only had enough energy for a short burst of speed, and that he had been saving it until he needed it; that seemed likely. Still, he was dangerous. He slowed to almost a stop, fifteen feet away from the high walls of her shelter.

She brought down the walls, feeling too muffled to perform well when she was within them. In a flash, she sent a line of sharp earthen daggers at him, but somehow he was no longer there. He wasn't anywhere in her vision.

She felt him land from his jump as the torrent passed; he was a little closer to her. She pounded her foot into the ground and he, recognizing the movement and the sure to follow attack, noticed the ground shaking beneath him a half-second before the pillar broke the surface.

Instead of finding himself at the top of an unbearably high perch, he used the pillar's powerful lifting motion to assist himself in his jump. He leapt into the air and toward her, making contact with the ground at an intolerably close range of the irate earthbender.

She began to make the motion of lifting a boulder from the ground, but he bounded forward so quickly that she could hardly notice the movement until it was too late. She didn't expect him to come so close to her on purpose, but in the time that one could blink, he was holding a smooth dagger to her neck; she had known that he had other weapons from the extra weights she'd noticed when vibrations had coursed up the figure of her adversary the first time she'd seen him, but she was surprised that he was putting one to use.

She caught her breath, but she made to move to get away. Surely if he wanted to kill her he would have already done it, so she waited, more annoyed and angry than she was scared. She wasn't afraid of him, and she wasn't afraid of the probable imminence of death. Fear for her own life was something she rarely felt.

"You're the first to face his path of destruction. Keep this in mind on your journey." The words were bitter, deadly – not a warning so that she might watch her back, but a promise foretelling the pain that was to come. A low growl formed in her throat; her muscles yearned to thrash about so that he might release her from his iron grip, but the icy steel at her neck caused her to keep her temper.

Without warning, he freed her from his grasp. Then he was gone; she realized they were at the forest's edge, and that he had disappeared into the safety of the woods, probably leaping between the treetops to make his escape.

Her fingers hesitantly traveled to her throat. She discovered that he had drawn the knife across her neck during his leave of her; she felt liquid gathering at the site of the shallow cut. As she drew her hand away, she felt that her fingertips were wet with her own blood.

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Author's Note: I'm hoping it wasn't too bad. I've been trying to think of ways to spice up the story, and this is the product. I thought it was refreshing after the past three chapters of intro/explanation. What about you? What do you think?

Review, please!


	5. Awakening

Author's Note: I'm disappointed with myself – I should definitely be posting these at a faster rate. I think I'll be quicker, however, because this chapter was the most difficult for me. I believe everything'll get better from here (because I've actually solidified some plot points!).

Disclaimer: Don't own Avatar. :)

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_Chapter 5: Awakening_

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It seemed as though one could have reached out and touched the high strung tension in the room.

Katara was busily healing Toph's wounds; she had found Toph soon after the small battle, and the room's inhabitants (which included everyone from the conference the night before) had yet to hear the importance of her story, though each knew the gist of what had happened – her injuries assured that much. Katara was nearly finished with her work, as none of the wounds had been as bad as they'd originally looked. Toph had come away fortunate, though still perhaps worse off than her opponent.

Sokka and Bumi had been conferring quietly in a relatively small conference room before Katara and Toph interrupted them; they of course had been speaking of Toph, a topic prompted by the king as a result of Toph's absence and Sokka's reserved attitude. The conversation had eventually drifted to other things that concerned the young warrior, but the subject somehow always ended up on Toph. Sokka took notice of this and wondered vaguely if this was how his discussions always ended up.

The warrior had experienced quite a lot over the course of twenty-four hours; of course, he was used to everything that happened, but not at quite a close range. He hated it all – hated the new concepts, hated the fact that everyone was against him, hated that Toph was hurt (their argument from the morning was lost in his mind, shielded from all thought by her burns, by the cut on her neck). She was still angry with him – her upper arm that lacked the meteorite he'd given her back when the war was going on proved as much, for that single gesture said more than she would have been willing to voice.

So, in a so far successful effort to avoid his irritable feelings, he had delved himself as far as he could in thought. He was the idea guy, of course, and while he had a painfully little amount of information to work with, he stuck to that as he, like everyone else, waited for someone to start talking.

Bumi, who had been wearing a solemn expression since Katara's telling that Toph had been in a fight, began to speak – something that did not surprise a single soul, since his expression and actions had been at least a slight bit unsettled, no matter how much control over himself he had. "It seems that we have a bit of a mess on our hands, if any of this adds up in such a way that I expect it will. Toph, would you please relay the details of what happened to you, and, if there is a connection between what happened to you and the upcoming journey – and I suspect as much -, tell us what that connection might be."

Toph allowed a small nod. "I was just training – practicing, you know – and this guy appears. He didn't walk up or anything. He just appeared, so he probably jumped from a tree. He was pretty familiar with my fighting style, but I didn't recognize him, so I think this was his first time ever… seeing me fight."

Bumi gave a grunt that seemed to have the desired effect: she continued.

"He fought well, probably using knowledge he'd learned from other people plus what he could gather for himself while waiting for the time to strike; he must have waited before fighting me, had to have waited for the right time. He was too precise not to have. Anyway, everything about him told me he wanted to fight me, and I was ready for it – it's been a while since my last good fight, and it was a chance I wanted to take. I felt like I could take him, but his intentions weren't to win or lose; he wanted to pass on a message. From Kanaye." She paused for effect, taking a moment to inhale and see if anyone cared to interrupt. No one did. "He said...," she began, becoming more confident as her memory returned. "…He told me that I'm the first to face his path of destruction. That's it."

Bumi was unhappy with this information; with every syllable his frown had deepened. Everyone had listened to her – even Sokka broke his thoughtful trance in his hunger to be useful, to think up some idea that would help them, to maybe seek a little revenge against Toph's former opponent.

Aang spoke next, clearing his throat uncertainly. "That was definitely unexpected," he said needlessly, his voice barely affecting the tension that had once more gripped the room. He continued, almost rebellious against the pressing silence. "Kanaye knows where we are, then. So that means he knows –"

"-a lot more than we planned for," Zuko snapped, cutting him off angrily. He seemed to have been holding in his feelings, but the more Toph talked and the more time passed he found it more difficult. His face was shielded by the unnecessary cloak hood, so his expression was unreadable - but not too difficult to guess. "We didn't count on this. Earthbender… it was a mistake for you to be out there by yourself in the first place-"

"I can take care of myself!" Toph snapped defensively.

"Obviously," Zuko growled in return. He inhaled deeply, calming himself. "Ugh… this ruins everything. He obviously knows where we are and has planned accordingly. He'll have already left the port; we're too late."

Aang frowned specifically at Zuko's words. "I'm sure we can still catch him if we left now, on Appa –"

"No," Zuko replied. "No, he would have already left right now if he had any shred of sensibility." Zuko sounded like hope was lost; indeed, to him, it was.

Sokka stood, shaking his head. "When that guy told Toph that she was, what, the first to face Kanaye's path of destruction? Yeah. When he told her that, he did say _first_, right, Toph?"

Toph merely nodded.

"That means more'll come. So… I think that means that when this so-called 'path of destruction' is over, which is when he does the totally impossible and takes us out, _then _he'll declare himself ruler of the world, or whatever cliché title he's going for."

"So what's he going to do? Attack each of us individually while also taking over key places around the world?" Toph demanded. "And all on a time calendar so that he'll finish both at the same time?"

"Yes," Sokka replied. "That's his plan, I think. You put it in such simple terms, but I at least think that's the gist of it." He ignored Toph's incredulity and simply looked at each person in the room with an expression that hinted at the fact that he was searching for some sort of support.

Bumi sounded a grunt of approval. "Very nice, Sokka," he said. "Quite an idea you've got there. I'm sure that is more or less of his plan; but now, since Kanaye has already set his sights on the distant or not so distant Southern Air Temple, which, I believe, is where he's headed, I'd put my head to work on a battle strategy. Fighting one bender who has mastered four elements would be difficult, but an army of unknown size would certainly turn the tables near impossible. You have the Avatar, but you are also plagued by the gifts and curses of emotion and fault."

Toph frowned. Bumi's knowledge seemed almost limitless, despite the fact that he kept assuring them that he knew very little and that the Shinsei were hardly known. Bumi was wise and old, yes – but his knowledge was extraordinary, even with the circumstances.

Katara withdrew her water from Toph's sitting figure and stored it back in her canteen. Zuko noticed that Toph looked fine now and said, "I suppose we should warn important officials of the things the come. Increase security, spread the word without panicking people as efficiently as possible… but the last thing we should do is wait for everything to happen. We should prepare. Just for Spirits' sakes, we need to get out of this city! We have to do _something_!"

Katara withdrew her water from the sitting figure of the earthbender before her and stored the liquid in her canteen; then she asked, "Toph, how do you feel?"

Toph stood up and, after flexing her toes and rolling her shoulders, she replied, "Perfect."

-A Short While Later-

Sokka felt very self-conscious when he hugged Bumi good-bye; the king didn't seem to be satisfied with a respectable handshake and instead decided that an embrace was more fitting. And, in this case, perhaps it was; he had confided in the old king after the disagreement between him and Toph that morning, and Bumi was a good listener. He also gave support and pointers, and had a way about him – a strange characteristic that gave Sokka the idea that he already knew everything that had happened and that he had been forgiven, and that Bumi was completely aware of the conversation that still had yet to take place.

Sokka hadn't even had any idea of what he was doing when he made to speak to the king, but it was basically apologizing for something the king wasn't even supposed to know anything about; and of course, it was Bumi, and he knew the art of conversation. Before Sokka knew what he was doing he had been drawn in by Bumi's sheer charisma, though he'd never noticed that the old man possessed such a thing until he'd been willing to see it.

Of course, Bumi was only human; he was simply old and experienced. Bumi was glad to have bonded a little with Sokka and liked to think of him as a stubborn son, though he didn't think he'd end up sharing that particular fact anytime soon.

Zuko was already on Appa, cloak and all; Aang hugged the old king and boarded the bison with Katara. Sokka then climbed up Appa's leg, and the four of them looked at an oblivious Toph as she said her good-byes.

"There was one question I had, though," she said after giving Bumi an uncharacteristic hug (she had originally planned to punch him in her way of greetings and farewells, but Bumi had none of it). "Well, two, actually. But the first is… well, how do you know all of this stuff about the Shinsei? I thought information about them was scarce – and if anyone knows about them, I'd guess it was you, but still."

Bumi chuckled in a good-natured manner. "Good of you to be curious, young Toph," he said approvingly. Then the laughter slowly left his face and he suddenly seemed much older. "I suppose you have a right to know. But not now – it requires time to tell you, which neither you nor I can afford. Your second question?"

Toph grinned. "Well, it's not so much a question as a suggestion. When we get back – I mean, when all of this is over -, I think I should show you how a real master fights. Maybe you could learn something."

Bumi grinned back. "I believe that's a challenge! Well, I'd certainly be honored to fight the Blind Bandit, but I'm not sure if you're up to being defeated. I accept, if you don't mind being a little roughed up."

"Prepare to lose," Toph told him, radiating confidence.

"You do just that," Bumi replied. "Now, then. I'll be looking forward to our next meeting, but as of right now you need to be going. Good-bye, Toph. And good luck, all of you!"

Toph nodded and boarded Appa, and the five set off for the port city with hopes of preparing the coastline for invasion.

-One Day Later-

"We're looking for someone," Zuko said.

The five eventually reached the coastal city and discovered that it was smaller than expected. Lively, but still small; even so, Aang wore a hooded cloak almost identical to Zuko's in the hopes of keeping a low profile. Their first stop was a congenial vendor with a good amount of food products, upon Sokka's suggestion, and their second stop was a small inn on the harbor.

The innkeeper looked unkempt. He was built small, and his hair was a lighter shade, bleached by the sun; he smelled like the harbor beside which he worked, but the telltale odor of an alcoholic was also present. This made Katara frown in distrust and Aang avoid eye contact, but no one else seemed to notice or care.

"Well," said the innkeeper, man to whom Zuko had spoken, "I might be able to help you, but I might not. Got a description?"

Zuko leaned his head slightly to the side. "He was Fire Nation… probably looked suspicious. He might've done some quiet trading in a local tavern or other rowdy place."

"You've got to give me more than that," the man replied. "That fits a good deal of people, any one of which could be your guy."

Zuko grumbled irritably. "He… he was sailing to the Southern Air Temple. He might have said the Southern Water Tribe. How many people sail down there from here? And in the past week?"

"Not too many. There was a man – didn't stay here at my inn; didn't seem to suit him – that sailed south. Had a hawk with him, and a small crew; I didn't much like him. Sneaky one, that." He shook his head and spit pointedly into a small wastebasket a few feet away. "I wouldn't have done business with him if he'd asked. I didn't like the look of him."

"How long ago? Exactly?" Sokka pressed, speaking before Zuko had the chance.

The man inhaled deeply, trying to remember. "A week, maybe. I see a lot of ships go out – I can't remember them all. But I think… I think a week, give or take."

Zuko nodded. Then he sighed, mixing weariness with slight despair. Toph had already taken a seat at one of the many empty tables in the main room. The five of them were alone, save the innkeeper; and he pretended to busy himself with tasks behind the counter, but he always kept an ear open in the hopes of hearing a word or two of gossip. Sokka took the seat beside Toph, though she hadn't said a word to him since their departure from New Omashu, and the other three crowded around.

"We need a plan," Aang said almost immediately. He and Katara looked at Sokka hopefully; Zuko shifted his eyes in Sokka's direction, expectant. Sokka noticed this and put his hands up defensively.

"Hey, hey! You guys know as much as I do. Look, how long –"

"Augh!" Aang yelled, throwing his head back and cringing in pain. The innkeeper looked toward them in alarm and gasped when he saw the Avatar (he knew there'd been something familiar about him!), but someone else also caught his eye. For the first time, he noticed the fifth member of their party: a small black-haired girl. His eyes strained; he was finally aware of her. This, of course, was because she was alert and her eyes were wide with surprise and something else (fear, perhaps?). She was also the other girl in the Avatar's group and, therefore, was blind.

"What is it, Aang?" Katara demanded, attempting to find the cause.

Toph gasped. "He just… his heart is racing. Is it… did he…?"

Suddenly Aang jerked back into his original position, though his expression was strained. For the first few seconds the only thing he found within his power to do was cough, but eventually he gasped out, "I… don't know what happened."

"Are you hurt?" was Katara's first inquiry.

Aang closed his eyes. "No," he said steadily. "Fazed, but not hurt. Surprised, mostly."

Katara nodded. Toph then asked, "Did you go into the Avatar State for a few seconds? On accident or something?"

"No," Aang replied. "It had something to do with the Spirit world – like the Spirits are upset or something, but I didn't go into the Avatar State. Something… happened."

"I bet the Shinsei were awakened," Sokka stated. Zuko frowned and leaned back in his chair. He glanced at the innkeeper and, noticing that the Avatar's cover had been blown, scowled; he would have very well like to toss back his own hood, for the pressing heat was suffocating and he thought some air would be nice, but he had to at least keep his own identity a mystery.

Zuko shook his head. "No," he said. "They don't have a connection with the Spirit World."

"As far as you know," Toph snapped. She was still sore at him for doubting her ability to take care of herself. "When I was talking to Bumi before we left, he told me a few of his own theories about the Shinsei. Like, time was frozen on them… and that they were condemned to wherever they're awakened from by the Spirits for some reason. But Bumi thinks the Spirits were involved, and if any of this is logical at all, then they definitely were. And are."

Zuko glared at her but said nothing, knowing that her words made sense in their own right. Sokka thought about everything she'd said and nodded uncertainly.

The innkeeper could see that the Avatar had returned to normal. He grabbed a scrap of parchment from a stack of papers and, rubbing it between his fingers, approached the small party. "You, young lady," he said, looking directly at Toph, "are the Blind Bandit, is that right?"

The inn was really a bunch of scraps of wood nailed together. During construction, the innkeeper had not had enough money to put in a wooden floor, so Toph felt that the innkeeper's heart was thumping vigorously and with a slightly faster pace. "Yes," Toph assented easily, unsure of the consequences that might come with revealing her identity, though it was obvious the man knew her – or at least knew of her.

"I've a message for you," he told her. "From that character I told you about. He left me a note – told me to find you, 'cause you were sure to come to this town. I didn't want to be the one… I didn't ask for it, didn't want it. But I was paid. I didn't do honest business with him, and I didn't like him – but he paid me a little and gave me this to read to you."

"Thought you didn't like the look of him," Toph said. "Thought you wouldn't have done business with him if he'd asked."

"It wasn't a choice. He didn't ask me – he threatened me. Gave me two gold pieces and threatened me with my life. I don't count for much, but he'll find out one way or another that I didn't hold up my end of it, and he'll kill me. He will." The man's eyes were panicked; they shone with terror. "I'll read the note to you now:

"Miss Blind Bandit. I've yet to meet you, but that'll come in due time; as for now, I suppose you know that you'll be the first to face your downfall. I plan to take you down from the inside out. You should be honored; the first place I attack with my army is a nice little city, a place senti… sentimental to you. I believe it goes by the name of Gaoling. There are two indiv… individuals whose fates I have yet to decide. I'm sure you know them well, and miss them, too. Yours, Kanaye."

The man inhaled hurriedly, the letter-reading having taken a lot of breath out of him; he was shaking with nervousness. The way he spoke the written words showed that he wasn't really familiar with that sort of speech pattern – his voice was awkward and rough, contradictory to the words it said. Toph's expression was unreadable, though Sokka believed that for the first time in a long time, he could detect the slightest note of fear in her eyes.

The innkeeper backed away slowly at first, then quickly turned and scurried behind the counter. "I'm sorry, Miss Blind Bandit, I truly am," he said meekly, sounding genuinely sorrowful. "He's a devil, he is. I'd rather drown in the harbor than face him again. He's… a serpent. That's a good word for him. Serpent."

Katara's previous frown deepened into something akin to rage, though she was otherwise composed; Toph could not see her, though, and was not fooled in the least. Katara's rapid heartbeat was a giveaway; Toph wondered vaguely at her anger, but primarily concerned herself with handling the fact that Kanaye was going to attack her parents.

"We should leave," Toph said suddenly, darkly. "Heading for Gaoling is the best thing right now. Maybe we can beat them to it. We can, if we leave now… We'll head off the Shinsei, stop them before they start, and keep Kanaye's so-called path of destruction from going any further. We can end this."

"They'd be too strong for a head-on attack," Sokka told her, keeping a fragile edge to his voice to convey that he was trying to help the situation, not make it worse.

Toph exhaled slowly. "They're not expecting it. At least, Kanaye won't, and if their leader won't, then they shouldn't. And it's a good way to see how strong they really are. I want to fight them – it gives us firsthand experience with their techniques, and anyway, we don't have to give it our all. We can retreat once we've seen what we're really up against."

Sokka nodded, gradually familiarizing himself with the idea and getting a mental picture. "Sounds good, I think." He was thrilled that she was actually talking to him in a civil manner, but no one else knew that. He also quite liked her idea – indeed, a head-on attack might not be expected. Then again, Kanaye had been a step ahead of them so far. Did that foreknowledge extend into battle strategy, too?

"I like it," Katara said, allowing the corner of her mouth to quirk upward. Toph was like her own sister – and if Kanaye had the audacity to kidnap or torture or even kill Toph's parents, or at least threaten as much, then Katara was dealt a personal blow. She had that way – making others' problems her own. Carrying burdens that weren't hers to bear.

Aang looked uncertain; his eyes flickered around the circle, and then he decided to speak. "Well, I mean… what if he _is _expecting it? Then all of the fighters will expect it, and they'd have the upper hand."

"Risks," Toph said dismissively.

Aang frowned at how lightly she seemed to take his caution, but Zuko agreed with him. "Kanaye will be prepared for all battle strategies. He knows exactly what he's doing – that's the scary part. And it seems like he knows exactly what _we're_ doing. We should look at all of the possibilities before we settle on a head-on attack. We need to be safe."

The Avatar nodded in solemn agreement; Katara shook her head, though as a result of her own thoughts than as an action contradicting their suggestions. "We should look at this from all angles," she conceded.

"Leave it to you to be _reasonable_," Toph grumbled, saying the word with obvious disgust.

Katara's eyes narrowed. "Well, _someone_ has to be."

"You're calling me unreasonable," Toph accused.

"_You're_ saying that me being reasonable is a bad thing!"

"Well, excuse me if I want to jump right into this. I did put some thought in my approach, but if we don't just face them head-on we might lose my parents while we just sit around trying to think of a strategy! I… I haven't even seen them since I ran away. I kept putting it off and putting it off, and now look what might happen. I might not even… I don't want something to happen to them because of me, because of _him_, because of my involvement with all of you."

A lump had formed in Toph's throat, making it difficult to talk; however, she didn't shed a single tear. Katara, however, was taken aback by her own ill words. She would have reached out, would have apologized – because she knew the pain of losing a parent, and couldn't imagine losing two. But Toph wouldn't have received an embrace warmly; she dealt with her feelings her own way, even if that way was simply bottling them up and storing them away.

So Katara was silent, and Toph was finished speaking about her parents. The silence was not pressing or tense, but contemplative and light. Zuko ended up breaking it. "A night's rest, then. Appa needs it if we're heading to Gaoling in the morning. I don't know how quickly the Shinsei travel, but they're bound to be headed straight for Gaoling. Hopefully they'll have a surprise when they get there… but we'll see. We need to eat and sleep, and I'm not sure what their needs are. Maybe the same, maybe more, maybe less."

Aang stood with an air of finality. "Well, then. I guess I'll see if I can get the innkeeper to give us a few rooms for the night, and I'll go do something for Appa, too. We leave for Gaoling at dawn."

They nodded, and suddenly something caught Sokka's eye – Toph was wearing the meteorite bracelet again. He didn't know exactly when that had happened, but he knew that he'd been forgiven for whatever had happened between them; he allowed himself a small, grave smile and decided that with her parents at stake, and other things that had yet to come, she understood that there were more important things than stupid arguments and silly grudges. He believed that she had come to the conclusion that forgiveness was one of the most important things a person needed to give.

Indeed, this was true. She had forgiven him – and two others, for in the wake of danger she was able to understand that despite past occurrences, she had no right to hold everything against them for so long – so much damage, so much hurt, and they could relieve it all in an instant. That instant, however – that single chance – might not be afforded to her, and that was frightening, and painful.

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_End Chapter_

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Author's Note: I'm more concerned about the characters than anything right now, to be honest. I've been reading more than usual and since they haven't released any new episodes lately, it's been difficult to immerse myself in the characters. I'm definitely going to have to watch more reruns. ;)

Please review! Be brutal!

Also, if you want to see a labeled map of the various places so far mentioned in the fic, please use the following link. Replace the three [dot's with actual periods. Oh, and Kutan is the coastal city they're in now, if I didn't make that clear. I mentioned it once, but it's easily forgettable.

http://s180[dotphotobucket[dotcom/albums/x286/musicrox01/?actionview¤tLabeledAvatarMap;[dotjpg


	6. What's In A Master?

Author's Note: I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Lots of stuff in here – I mean, a little Tokka, a little action, a little info, a little suspense… ah. I hope you like reading it as much as I liked writing it.

Disclaimer: I don't Avatar. If I did, you wouldn't watch it.

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_Chapter 6: What's in a Master?_

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A few evenings after leaving Kutan, Sokka busied himself over some maps. "Okay, so Bumi told us… he said it was this island," Sokka said, pointing to one of the islands of the Southern Air Temple.

Aang stood from Appa's head and hopped weightlessly into the saddle. Then he leaned over Sokka's shoulder and identified, "That's Whale Tail Island. See the shape?"

"You know it?" Zuko asked, curious and slightly surprised.

"Sure," Aang replied, smiling at some distant memory. "We – the monks and some of the other kids – went there sometimes. There was a temple there… a big one, and no one ever went inside. And since temples were pretty common, no one thought to ask about it." Aang shrugged. "Could be the place Kanaye's going for. I've never been inside of it, so I don't know what its like."

Katara nodded steadily, taking in the information. Sokka made no move to say that he'd heard the Avatar; he was studying the map, and every now and then he would glance up at the sky. He sighed, preparing to deliver news. "The only way we'll be able to get to Gaoling before the Shinsei is if we go through the mountains."

Katara looked toward the triangular shapes on the horizon. If they continued in that direction, they were sure to face turbulence; the sky was colored a deep, ugly purple, reminiscent of a bruise. "That'll bring us through bad weather. Are you sure the mountains won't be too dangerous? Is there a safer way?"

"We could go around them, but that would make us at least three days late. We just can't afford it." Sokka shook his head; Toph stayed silent, as she had been all day. He worried about her but directed his face to Katara, waiting for her response.

Katara said nothing, knowing that despite the dangers of the mountains, worse things would lurk on the other side. She licked her lips and nodded, hoping that the Spirits would keep them out of harm's way.

Hours passed, and they did so in silence; Katara had busied herself with repairing a few tears in the sleeping bags, Zuko was sitting as far away from them as possible and doing nothing, Aang was driving and offered the occasional nervous remark in regard to the weather, Sokka switched between scrutinizing the maps and pretending to read some scrolls, and Toph did nothing and said nothing. From time to time her hand would drift to her arm and she would touch the meteorite bracelet, but other than that, she was still.

Eventually Sokka had to stop pretending. He'd read one sentence eighteen times and he still didn't know what it said; his mind was elsewhere. Toph was unsettled, and even if it wasn't really any of his business (but since when did that matter?), he wanted to be helpful. After putting his scrolls aside he scooted beside her.

Her expression changed from thoughtful and slightly sad to slightly puzzled, but she did not otherwise acknowledge him. This was fine with him; he was content to sit in silence, but he thought to offer a few comforting words first. "They'll be ok-"

Quite suddenly a crack of lightning split the sky, and a mere moment later thunder ripped it apart. Sokka glanced at Toph for a moment and then sprang to his feet, hoping to help Aang keep direction.

Toph was unnerved; she held her fright well, but afraid she was. She hated storms anyway (loved the rain, but hated thunder and lightning), and she was vulnerable in the air. It was unknown territory. She felt safe on Appa, but that security was shattered by lightning and scattered by the roar of thunder. Toph very rarely felt small – but storms had that effect on her, and it wasn't easily accepted.

Another thing that contributed to her particular dislike of storms in the air was the fact that sometimes even Appa was frightened by them. He was more accustomed to it, and perfectly at home in the air, but particularly bad storms made his heart jolt much faster than necessary.

Katara moved toward Aang, taking Sokka's place; they were discussing whether or not if would be safe to fly higher, into the clouds, and bend a clear path for them. They'd only done it once before, and never with such a large storm, but they were unsure of whether or not they'd be able to make it through.

Sokka shifted back to his place beside Toph, and as he did so, another jagged bolt of lightning descended from the sky and emitted a deafening crash. Appa, surprised and frightened by the noise, became unstable and shifted dangerously to one side. The movement caught Toph by surprise and she fell out of the saddle, clinging to the bison's fur just out of Sokka's reach.

It began to rain.

Toph, terrified, clutched Appa's matted fur with every bit of strength she had. Her hair began to stick to her face, and Sokka and Zuko both tried to reach her, but she was just beyond their grasps.

Appa shifted again, and Toph screamed; Sokka found himself pitched forward, as close to her as he could get, and he grabbed her wet forearms. She was slippery and would have easily escaped his grasp save for how tightly he held her. Then he began to pull up, and, because she trusted him and because she had to in order to make progress, she relinquished her grip on Appa's fur.

With a little help from Zuko, Sokka pulled her into the saddle. Katara, alarmed, immediately instructed Aang to get out of the mountains. If they went down, there was no telling where they might end up, and she didn't want to risk another thunderclap disturbing Appa. They needed fair weather, whether it would put them three days behind or not.

"You should be more careful," Zuko told Toph, sitting a couple of feet away. He didn't seem to trust her enough to let her be too far away. She felt like he was treating her like a child, but at least he was pitiless; that was why she liked Zuko. He wasn't apathetic, but he never felt sorry for anyone. His own experiences had made sure of that – if he could endure what had happened to him, then as far as he was concerned anyone should be able to conquer their own experiences, however brutal.

Toph scowled at Zuko; she was the greatest earthbender in the world! He, merely the Fire Lord (she scoffed inwardly at the thought), had no right to treat her like a simple misguided child. Sokka said nothing. He knew she would be ashamed of herself for not clinging to the saddle. She'd broken that habit some time ago, trusting Appa; however, she knew that the trust was ruptured, even if only temporarily.

Her injured pride prevented her from taking Sokka's arm, which he offered, until the skies were nearly clear; at this point, however, she asked, "Is the storm over? Completely?"

Katara hadn't told her about the change in course, and she really wasn't looking forward to it. "Well, Toph…" she began, looking to Aang for support. He was turned toward her, hands still on the reins.

"Yes, it's over. But only because we're not in the mountains anymore," Aang said, his voice cautious.

Toph seemed to digest this information. "We left the mountain path," she stated. "We're not going to make it in time." She was telling herself rather than clarifying it to the others.

They continued that path, keeping parallel with the storm clouds that continued to hang over the mountain peaks and never seemed to end.

-The Morning of the Third Day-

"I think I can see Gaoling," Aang said, trying to be helpful. "We're nearly there."

Katara turned to see if she could also see the city, and indeed, she could make out some sort of settlement on the horizon. The waterbender frowned. "I can see it, too, but what's that down there? That… cloud of dust?"

Aang shrugged. "Since it's too wide to go around, I figure if we keep high enough we won't have to worry about whatever it is. We should reach the city soon."

As Appa began to pass over the dust cloud, just making it past the boundaries, Toph's keen ears caught a sound. "Wait, stop. Go back." Her eyes widened slightly. "Aang, turn Appa around."

Aang seemed uneasy. "He thinks we should turn back, too. Okay, buddy…" Momo chirruped uncertainly, standing from where he was laying in Katara's lap and moving about nervously. As Appa made to turn, something appeared at the corner of Aang's vision – red…

"Get us out of here!"

No one knew who said it, for the voice was indistinguishable among the sear of fireballs erupting from the dust cloud. Aang had been sure that they were flying high enough; certainly they were at an elevation beyond what any firebender would be able to launch an attack. As they began to retreat, the dust started to settle – and Aang turned back to see the benders and noticed that they were all standing on tall columns, so they hadn't been shooting from the ground.

Suddenly the columns pitched forward; the firebenders began to _earthbend_ forward, reminding Sokka and Aang of how Toph had used earthbending as means of travel when they picked her up on their way back to Ba Sing Se. Toph herself could hear them loud and clear – and easily recognized that they were skilled from the mere sounds of their bending.

There were definitely too many of them to fight – a line of them stretched out along the horizon, though not to the very edge of it. Perhaps there were five-hundred, perhaps a thousand – the number couldn't be estimated. If they truly were masters of all the elements, they were a force to be reckoned with, most certainly. They accelerated at stunning speeds, catching up with the air bison.

Katara inhaled deeply. "They're airbenders, Aang," she murmured, lightly touching his shoulder. "It doesn't matter how high we go, because they're able to do it, too." The Shinsei never seemed to stop accelerating – they were blurs, and there was a steady, earthy hum as they pursued the Avatar and his companions.

"They don't have gliders," Aang said in reply, though his voice audibly shook with his lack of confidence in this statement's truth.

Katara simply shook her head. "We don't know that. We don't know what they're capable of. Running, that'll get us nowhere." She strained her voice so that the others passengers could hear her. Sokka perked to her words.

"He won't kill us yet. He's… testing us, I bet," he offered, peering over Appa's saddle with a scrutinizing expression. "Maybe he's trying to scare us. Maybe he _wants_ us to fight. I don't know, but I'm pretty sure that whatever his plans are, he's put more thought into it than just killing us outright."

"Does he want to capture us, then?" Zuko asked. As the conversation continued, Appa continued to climb higher; his sloping ascent began to level, and the Shinsei continued pursuit. Despite Appa's speed and the assistance of air travel, they were almost directly below the Avatar, preparing for whatever Kanaye had in mind.

Sokka's frown defined considerably; he never took his eyes off the figures below them. "Maybe. Maybe that is what he's doing." The warrior shook his head, wondering at the enemy's plans. "We shouldn't just wait around and let him strike first, though. That might work for Toph, but we have to get the edge on this fight quick – I feel like we're doing just what he wants."

Aang turned to him and nodded solemnly. "We'll stand and fight," he said simply, and the others silently agreed. He encouraged Appa to turn as quickly as he could so that he might get behind the Shinsei to land – that way the Shinsei wouldn't stand between the Avatar's group and Gaoling.

Appa turned abruptly and the Shinsei, obviously at least a little surprised by this, began to turn around as well. They worked in one synchronized motion to accomplish a sweeping turn for the purpose of keeping their momentum. Appa was flying very fast, but he began to slow as he prepared to land; they were far enough away from the Shinsei to get off of Appa and prepare for the fight ahead. It was obvious that they wouldn't be allowed any sort of rest until the Shinsei had accomplished whatever it was that they wanted, and so, because Appa's speed was no match for the powerful speed of their bending, and because using the shelter of Gaoling (if they could make it there) would only endanger the citizens, fighting was the only other option. Well, there was giving up – but since when did the Avatar and his companions ever resort to that?

Appa's feet touched the ground; Aang airbended himself and Katara off, and Toph, Sokka, and Zuko joined them moments later. Each prepared in his or her own way – Aang steadied himself, Katara drew water from the container at her side, Zuko loosened himself up and allowed flames to dance in his hands, Sokka drew his sword, and Toph – Toph's toes flexed, measuring their approaching adversaries; her muscles tensed, waiting, just waiting for one of _them _to make the first move. She would counter – and she, fueled by a flame more common in short-tempered firebenders, was more than ready to exchange her anger for the adrenaline-pumping thrill of battle. She needed to fight.

In the blink of an eye, the Shinsei were upon them; such a straightforward attack shook the others' steadiness, but Toph's fighting was so perfectly composed in the very beginning that it seemed the fight between she and her opponents had been rehearsed.

Toph held the heels of her hands together and thrust forward boulder; in the time it took her to perform that single movement a thread of flames, flurry of earthen daggers, and gust of strong wind came at her from three different opponents. To stay focused in battle they could only bend one element at a time – Toph resolved that their speed during their pursuit had only been a combination of airbending and earthbending because they hadn't really had to focus on their actions. She had little time to think, though, before she was forced to make a wooden shield burst from the ground to deflect a fire blast.

The only water around belonged to Katara, so the Shinsei were unable to waterbend. This small comfort was barely worth it, but at least Katara's bending was unique; Zuko, too, had a small advantage since there was no water to put out his flames, though earthbending was still against his particular element. The Shinsei, to everyone's surprise, had no armor – at least none that they could see (or feel through vibrations), and this was slightly comforting, too.

Toph noticed that only a small number had engaged in combat – fifteen fought against them, and the others kept a respective distance. This was a curious thing to Toph, but she knew that if every one of them had been fighting them, they wouldn't have had a prayer – whether death was Kanaye's intention or not, that was undoubtedly what would have happened. It would have been inescapable.

Toph quickly resolved that Kanaye wanted them to live, and, with this relief engulfing her, her motions were more fluid. Fighting three people was difficult, but whatever happened, they would all, most likely (for she was never sure of anything), make it out alive. Then she could go to Gaoling and see if Kanaye had spared them, killed them, or captured them – she wouldn't be able to save them, not yet.

She made the ground beneath the one currently earthbending tremble and slide uncertainly. He would have done the same to her, but she had utter and complete control of the earth around her – none of them could turn her native element against her, no matter how hard they tried. They could throw rocks at her all they wanted, but their mastery of the earth was no greater than hers; because, too, they weren't capable of their own wills and couldn't have faults or feel emotions, they couldn't feel a connection with that element. Earth was not special to them – it was a skill, and that was all. That was why she could so easily throw the earth out from under each of them but they had no hope of taking away her power of her element.

She could feel the strength of the earth resonating beneath her and flowing into her, through her. She knew at once that they could feel no such thing – they might be masters in one sense of the word, but they would never understand any of the four elements, and for a brief moment Toph felt sorry for them.

Then her mind returned to the fight at hand.

Each of her opponents was an equal distance away from her and from each other. She was in the center of them, and decided to use this to her advantage. While they each sent a blast of fire at her at once, she encased herself in a strong, sturdy rock shell shaped like a triangular pyramid. When she first felt the pressure of the benders' blasts against her shell, she used as much strength as she could muster to send three slabs of rock that composed her casing flying at the Shinsei. The slabs were so strong that instead of shattering against the blast of the fire, they bore the flames backward, and her Shinsei opponents were both burned and beaten by her attack.

The first composed himself quickly and sent a whirlwind at her; she sent earthen discs at it for the purpose of slowing it down and weakening its power, and as the remaining light, airy breeze passed over her, she stomped the ground and sent a slanted pillar at the second recovering Shinsei, hurling the woman back. The third used this moment to attack her from behind and punched a succession of fireballs at her. She took the first one, but the others were extinguished by a boulder the ground choked up for her. She sent it flying at the man, and his attacks were futile as the rock hit him square in the chest. He fell, dazed and perhaps mortally wounded, though that depended on the hit.

The second was still winded, and that just left Toph with the first. While he was at the same skill level as the other two, he was much faster – and therefore much more of a challenge. She evaded or countered his attacks, and she had yet to throw a blow herself; she was trying to wear him out, but his breathing was always steady. It seemed as though she Shinsei had a never-ending supply of energy.

Aang still had all three of his opponents, but he was matched equally with all of them, and he felt a connection with each of the elements he worked with. Because they had no such connection, he was doing very well. He wasn't powered by anger, as Toph had been, but by a steadily growing flame that gave him the ability to do nothing more than grow and do better – the Shinsei could do no such thing, and had no particular strategy. If ever they seemed to have forethought their attacks, it was just luck on their part.

Katara was fighting two. One had intended to rob her of her water, but she quickly got rid of him; just as the Shinsei had not been able to make Toph relinquish her power over the earth beneath her, so were the Shinsei not able to rob Katara of the part of her element over which _she _had control. Katara handled her water with unmatched grace and elegance which the Shinsei seemed to have none of; Katara had many advantages.

Zuko found power for his attacks in his passion for his country and its safety; these monsters would act to control the Fire Nation, and then the world – and they had no right to any of it, least of all what he and the Avatar had earned. These creatures were thoughtless, careless – they were _nothing, _and if there could be something more despicably valueless, they would have been such. These unnatural evils had no right to anything. How _dare _Kanaye use these things to bring himself into power? How _dare _he? Zuko's passion flowed from his body to the fire that sprang from his fingertips and palms. His motions were precise – he fought with as much strength as he could find. He was hindered by nothing and no one. He had one man left to defeat, and he intended to do so.

Sokka, well – if anyone besides Toph had been more than semi-conscious of Sokka's accomplishments, they would have been pleasantly surprised. Sokka was perhaps the most skilled non-bender, it was true; his weapon prowess was unmatched. He sometimes found it difficult to fight benders because they could attack from good distances, out of reach of Sokka's sword, but even then he fought well. This time, though, he had been presented with three benders, and each a master of all four elements. This was sure to have been one of the most challenging fights he had ever engaged in; yet, despite the horribly unfavorable odds, he was constantly completely aware of the stakes – and he fought brilliantly. While the black sword he bore did not have the ability to strike fear in the hearts of his opponents, as it would have if his adversaries had been capable of emotion, he was nonetheless outstanding in battle. He was quick and easily dodged almost every attack the Shinsei could throw at him – and he didn't hesitate to put his weapon to use every time the Shinsei came close. Even after mortally wounding one (the man suffered a horrifying blow to his arm and was barely alive because of blood loss), the other two had no fear of the black sword and its bearer. Sokka pierced a second bender in his chest; he was not unused to such brutality, but he would never really feel accustomed to it. He could murder a countless number of people and his heart would always pound with the knowledge of his actions, the pure, basic reality of what he'd done. He was horrified at himself, but all the same, when he fought the enemy there was always a thrill in it, too.

Sokka's third adversary was a woman. Once upon a time he might have refused to fight her; but he had grown into the habit of turning aside the knowledge of gender to embrace the knowledge of the enemy's identity. Being a female had absolutely nothing to do with how evil a person's intentions were, as Azula so skillfully proved, and so Sokka had no problem fighting her, though maybe, a long time ago, he very well would have.

Toph was making little progress. The man she faced was much faster than her; he expertly manipulated his elements. Toph's insides burned at that word – _manipulate. _It was a horrible, disgusting word to describe the handling of one's element, but that was exactly what he was doing. He was making his lack of a bond with the earth, with fire, with air so painfully obvious that Toph felt another kind of rage, one that felt purer and more natural. How could this man be called a bender? He didn't bend. He _manipulated_. He didn't deserve to have any kind of control over an element. He did not appreciate. He did not love, did not live for the elements that he had _mastered. _Mastered! To be called a master was a privilege and an honor. He had no right to it, no matter how well he could _manipulate. _

The connection between Toph and her element had been there from before birth; it was woven intricately and could never be broken. It would always be there, and Toph hated – purely hated – how someone like him had the audacity (though he had no audacity) to call himself a master. How sickening! She searched in vain for any way that he might use to establish that indeed there was a connection; but while he moved with utter certainty, he did not move like an earthbender. While his motions were fluid, they did not have the honorable semblance to those of a waterbender. While his attacks were precise, they were not remotely reminiscent of those a firebender might perform; while he himself was light and loose and he executed his hits so naturally and easily, he could never, ever be considered an airbender. He was merely an imitation of each of these things. He was a sick, filthy imitation – he was nothing real. He was _not _a person, but a lowly being not even worthy of a name.

This hate consumed Toph, and her attacks became unbearably powerful. Her final adversary fought on, unheeded at first, but finally his bruised, battered body was swallowed by a chasm, and the earth choked him down; his empty eyes would never again be graced with sunlight, but with darkness until life drained from him body. Toph found sick satisfaction in that and quickly helped the others vanquish their opponents; the Shinsei that had not been pitched into battle at the beginning still kept their distance, not looking at the battle because their eyes had no interest.

Soon enough the Avatar's companions were victorious, in a bittersweet way. Their test was over. They had survived – they were bruised, beaten, bleeding, battered, broken in several places, but most of all they were gloriously alive, and that was all that truly mattered. They were alive and they had identities, they had emotions and faults. They had their elements, and that was all they would ever need.

Their ears rang, though the sounds of battle had faded some time ago. The area around them was horrifying – the ground was practically ripped apart in some places, and whatever grass might have been there before was long gone now. Silence reigned for a few beautiful moments.

The Shinsei, in one swift movement, all turned away from the Avatar and companions and began to earthbend away, leaving a conspicuous path behind them. One man, however, blew a gust of air at them, and as he turned to leave, a folded piece of parchment landed on the ground at their feet. Toph felt the tiny vibrations as it landed and felt uneasy; the others did, too. Since no one else seemed too keen to pick it up, Sokka bent and took the parchment between his thumb and forefinger. He unfolded it and began to read what it said; the more he spoke, the lower his voice got. His voice was dangerously grave as he spoke the last word, the signature.

_Youths, _

_You have impressed me with your talented fighting. It was my first time seeing the Shinsei in a real battle, and allow me to say that now that I am aware of their power, I am better equipped for the events that are to follow. Hopefully you will learn of these events soon enough. Hopefully by now you're aware that if you barely succeeded against the Shinsei on this day, you have yet to experience the true strength of the entire army. I merely wished to see your talents and the skill of the Shinsei, and I suppose I did you a favor in showing you exactly what you're against._

_I was especially pleased to be able to finally see the greatest earthbender in the world fight my benders. I have great plans for you, Toph. I suppose at this time you are wondering about your parents – I am more than happy to oblige, soon enough. I shall not tell you of their fates just yet, for you will learn before long._

_Phase two of Toph's destruction is on the horizon. Keep it in mind._

_Yours,_

_Kanaye_

_-_

_End_

_-_

Author's Note: What did you think? Review, please!


	7. Pretend

Author's Note: I'm introducing my second main OC in this chapter, just so you know. Everything weird in this chapter is explained in the next, so if you don't completely understand what's going on, that's cool. You're not supposed to. :)

Disclaimer: I will never own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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_Chapter 7: Pretend_

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The group flew to the outskirts of Gaoling; there they left Appa, at Toph's determined request. She wanted to walk into her hometown, wanted her bare feet to verify the state of things; she wanted the comfort of the ground beneath her toes to keep her steady if everything was as she expected.

As the group entered, a wave of unease drifted over them. To the naked eye, it seemed that the entire place was deserted; there wasn't a single cart or vendor on the streets. No civilians were in sight. The houses were not boarded up, but all windows and doors were closed; the only sound was that of the wind teasing them, making them further hate the desolation.

For a brief moment, Toph struggled to inhale; she could sense no one outside, but for homes whose floors were made of dirt or stone, she could see into them. The city was not deserted – its citizens had merely been crippled with fear. Toph had no doubt as to what had caused this devastating halt on the town's activity, but the Shinsei had gone – what, then, were the citizens so afraid of?

Another moment passed, and then another; Toph was sick of the seemingly aimless progress, and the burning desire to _know_ was unbearable. Without warning she burst into a run and took off blindly in the direction of her old home, not caring in the slightest that she had a substantial amount of distance to cover or she could make much faster progress with the help of earthbending. She relied on the feel of the earth beneath her feet, but for a moment, she just wanted to run.

Soon enough she began to use earthbending, but the running had been a wonderful way to blow off steam; she made quick progress and before she could truly process what she was doing or where, exactly, she was going, she had arrived at the gates of the estate. She could feel that the others had followed her, but she was a good distance ahead of them and had time to herself before they arrived.

The light breeze tousled her messy black hair, but nothing before her stirred; she reached out a hand to touch the new-feeling wrought iron gate. It was intact, but it was wide open, each side reaching out to her as if to embrace her. Her searching fingers fell to her side and she ventured forward, listening vainly for any sign of life.

She continued forward up the walkway and found that the door was also open. The light breeze was not strong enough to make the door move and creak on its old hinges; she simply walked forward, the empty, cavernous house as bleak as anything she'd ever come in contact with. It was so heartbreakingly silent that she bit her lip and found that a tear had snaked its way from her eye and was drifting down her cheek, just as painfully silent and devastating as the house – _her home._

Nothing creaked, nothing moved; the place was so lifeless that another tear escaped, and another. Her mind was jumbled and thoughts were out of place – she vaguely noticed that they had installed new stone floors in almost every room (probably only a few months ago), and it barely occurred to her that her room, on the far side of the house, was exactly the same as she'd left it, down to the crooked cushion on the floor beside the door.

Toph's footsteps were excessively careful and reserved so as not to disturb anything; she moved from room to room, marveling at the lack of destruction. Everything was upright; there were no signs of struggle. Perhaps there had been no struggle, as she had originally thought; perhaps her parents' throats had been slit in the midst of night. She attempted to quell this thought with the knowledge that such a spineless attack wouldn't have held enough flair for Kanaye, but she was so unsettled that she immediately made her way to her parents' bedroom.

She'd never been in that room before. The floors were wooden, and they repelled her; besides, it was disrespectful to enter the room in which her parents slept. She did so now, though, driven by the horrible concepts of death that flitted across her mind, flickering in and out of her head. She was blind; if she reached out to the bed and touched a dead body…

She approached the bed and reached out, not wanting to wait in painful suspense. She exhaled a pent-up breath when her fingers met the comforter – the bed was empty. She knew the room was small; they weren't there. She decided that they weren't in the house, and a wave of bittersweet relief washed over her.

Then, quite suddenly, she felt uneasy.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up; she wondered if the others had reached the estate yet, but somehow she knew that they hadn't. Someone was with her, someone was in the house… someone was in the _room_…

"Hello."

Toph's heart rocketed, but she managed to somewhat keep her composure. "Who's there?" She backed out of the room, into the stone hallway. "Come out here. Come here so I can see you."

"You are blind." The voice obviously belonged to a young woman; it sounded clear and lovely, almost like music. Toph didn't trust it in the slightest; the woman continued to talk. "You cannot see me, no matter where we are."

Toph had no desire to explain. "I can, if you come into the hallway… You have no right to be here. Who are you?" Questions stumbled over themselves in Toph's mind and she just wanted the woman to come into the hallway so she could _see _her. She knew that she didn't know the woman – but if the woman spoke, she wanted to know if she was lying. How could she have been there? Toph hadn't heard breathing, hadn't heard a single thing to indicate life. Her uninvited guest was obviously skilled in the art of stealth.

The woman complied and walked into the hallway. Toph had backed away from the door; she was ten feet away from the woman, and she hoped to keep it that way. Toph could tell how tall the woman was, about how much she weighed, how comfortable she felt being right in front of a stranger. What she couldn't tell were the woman's identity and her intentions, and these things interested her the most. "You haven't answered me. Who are you?" Toph's voice was demanding; she was obviously very surprised at another person's presence.

"I am Sira," the woman informed her, "and I can help you. You are the daughter of the people who lived here, are you not?"

"How did you know that?" Toph asked, breathless and taken aback. The word _lived, _in the past tense, made her skin chill.

"I see pictures," Sira replied. "I see paintings of the three of your together. You were younger, though… they have none of how you look now, but you are unmistakable. Your name is Toph, too, correct?"

Toph was frowning. "I'm not answering any more of your questions until you tell me why you're here. What happened to my parents? What right do you have to be here?"

Before Sira could respond, Toph heard the others enter the house. She had no need to face Sira to know if the woman had something violent in mind and turned away, approaching the door. Sira followed.

"Toph!" Sokka called.

Aang joined him. "Toph, are you in here?"

"I'm here," Toph replied. "But we've got some _company, _too." She reached the doorway and stood before her friends; Sira stood behind her, not quite a whole head taller. "I don't think she's violent, but I do know that she has a lot of things to tell us. Like why, for Spirit's sake, are you in this house?" Toph had turned toward the woman and was waiting for an answer.

Sira's expression was grave. "It is true, I am not violent. As to why I am here… I was awaiting your arrival. There is more to tell you, but is a time and place for such explanations and it is not here and now. I know who you are; you are Avatar Aang, you are Katara of the Water Tribe, you are Sokka of the Water Tribe, and you are Fire Lord Zuko. I am no stranger to your titles, though your accomplishments are mysteries to me." She allowed the corners of her mouth to tilt upward, though she seemed cautious about the action.

Toph didn't trust strangers, especially after her experience with Ru. The woman wasn't violent, however, so Toph didn't especially feel the need for such a thing. She wanted answers, but perhaps they could keep company with her for a time.

"May I accompany you?" she asked. "Into the city? I have unfinished business I must attend to, and I wouldn't want to further frighten the residents. You'll understand what I mean soon enough."

Aang seemed ill-at-ease, but he wouldn't readily deny her such a simple request without having a proper reason – one that didn't involve just a feeling. As he opened his mouth, Zuko quickly evaluated the Avatar's emotions and spoke first. "You know of us, but how do we know you're not an enemy?" he demanded, glancing at Aang irritably.

"Fair enough. As I told Toph of the Earth Kingdom, my name is Sira. I have no title. I do not know quite how to prove that I am not a danger to you, but if you give me the opportunity, I will gain your trust on my own. Is that all right?"

The others considered. Finally Sokka said, "That sounds okay to me."

Katara and Aang offered nods of agreement. Toph didn't much care; she wasn't going to trust her. She didn't like strangers and she wasn't going to warm up to them just like _that_. Zuko was tight-lipped, and he seemed to be mulling it over; after a few moments, he nodded once. It was settled.

"I suppose we shall begin to advance toward the settlement, then," Sira said resignedly.

There was one more thing Toph had to know, though. "What happened to my parents?" she asked, a light plea creeping into her voice. She didn't know it, but Sira sensed this and understood how much Toph needed to know the answer.

Sira exhaled softly. "I do not know for sure," she replied, "but when the Shinsei – yes, I know of them perfectly – left this place, your parents were captured alive."

When they reached the town, it was just as deserted as before, if not more so. Not a single thing had changed about the place except the wind; now it was hotter, as the sun was about directly overhead. The world felt _dead. _Toph, lips pursed in slight annoyance and slight curiosity, turned in the direction of the nearest home with a dirt floor.

"There are people in there," she said. "There are people in most of the buildings, as far as I can see, but they just won't come out." She approached the home to which she'd turned before and, when she reached it, she knocked.

If she hadn't been able to see with her feet, she would have sworn that the house was empty.

She knocked again, more forcefully this time; when this yielded no results, she took her meteorite bracelet off and shaped it into a rough key. After thrusting it into the lock, she willed it to fit correctly and in moments she was inside the house without being made to break down the door. Being an earthbender was a wonderful thing.

The entire place had three rooms. The farthest away from the door was the bedroom, and she headed there now; the two people in there (a mother and son, she decided) were aware of their visitor's presence and were quaking with fear. Toph's curiosity was stretched even more, and when she passed through the door into the room of the two people, the mother held her son close to her in a crouching position.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you," Toph murmured. She approached them carefully, attempting to set them at ease.

"That's what you said the first time," the woman choked out. Then she found the courage to look up, and surprise flooded her face as she recognized the guest. She gasped. "Ah… oh!" She coughed and seemed to forget herself; after considering the situation, she struggled shakily into a standing position. Her child continued to cling to her skirt, but she tried to make him let go. He wouldn't. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't find a single thing to say.

"What was that all about?" Toph asked.

The woman inhaled quickly. "For the past two days we've been terrorized by… I'm not even quite sure. They simply came in and – they took all of our food, used our homes for shelter… mine was spared, thank the Spirits, but… we haven't been able to account for ourselves because we've been too afraid, and I'm sure many tried to escape the city. We're probably missing half of our population… and they were violent… they haven't killed anyone that I know of, but perhaps…"

Toph nodded. "Did they have any reason, do you know?"

The woman began to shake her head, and then stopped. "There was a man… he was different from the others. I don't know what it was about them, but they didn't seem… I'm not sure. They walked, and talked, and they ate – Spirits, they ate – but something didn't sit right about them. One man, however, wasn't like them, and he seemed to be running the whole operation. He kept demanding to know where the Bei Fongs lived, but no one would tell him. He finally got fed up and took a child hostage – he threatened to kill her if he didn't the information he wanted. He learned, and he went there… and they came back, but it was only to pass through. It was the last we saw of them, and we'd really like to keep it that way."

Toph's lips were tight. "What happened to the kid he took?"

The woman shrugged. "He took her with him when he went to the Bei Fong estate. I don't know if he returned her to her family or not because I didn't watch them leave – I just heard them. When they arrived they were earthbending, but they left on foot, and running… I just don't know."

Toph nodded. She turned to leave; the woman reached for her sleeve, but she drew back before her fingers made contact with the cloth. Who was she to touch Toph Bei Fong, a renowned war hero and elite earthbending master? It was strange; she hadn't even known of the girl's existence in a hometown they both shared. She had experienced the shock of a lifetime to see the young woman standing before her instead of one of those monsters, but that shock was overshadowed with relief – the first she'd felt in days. She didn't want to let that relief just walk out the door.

"Where will you go, now?" the woman asked. "Is the Avatar out there? The others, too?"

"They are. I'm going to find out exactly what happened to that little girl right now, but if you want to come outside, you are safe. The invaders are gone."

The woman smiled shakily, and her son seemed to understand that the danger had passed. The two followed Toph out of the house and they approached the rest of the group; they'd been waiting for Toph's return.

While the woman stood in shock and awe of the Avatar, Toph noticed that a few of the citizens were approaching their doors; they would look out of them soon, and when they saw the Avatar and his companions, they were sure to know that everything was okay. Toph turned to Sira.

"You said that when the Shinsei left my home, they captured my parents. Was there a little girl with them?" Toph's voice was urgent, compelling. She wanted to know _now._

Sira replied, "They arrived at the Bei Fong household with a little girl, but they did not leave with her. When they departed, I took the girl home myself. Then I returned to the estate to wait for you." She was completely sincere.

Toph's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but she did not voice her concerns. This woman was puzzling! Was she in alliance with the Shinsei or against them? Was she neutral? Was she a spy, not outwardly dangerous but sent to take back information to Kanaye? Who _was _she, and what were her intentions?

Toph was frowning. "Will we learn who you are and your intentions?" she asked.

Sira nodded. "Soon, Toph of the Earth Kingdom. Soon."

"You can stop saying _of the Earth Kingdom. _If we're allies, and I hope we are, formalities aren't really necessary. Same goes for the others." Toph turned away and something caught her attention – in a building a bit farther down the street she could "see" a child. A young girl, she wagered. A young earthbender, at that.

Sira inclined her head. Her straight black hair fell over her shoulders and resembled a curtain in the way that it moved. "We are indeed allies… Toph."

Toph nodded and began making her way toward the building in which she'd seen the young girl. Sokka began to follow; Katara and Aang coaxed the citizens out of the shadows of their dwellings and into the street where it was now safe. Zuko considered his options – follow Aang and Katara or Toph and Sokka – and chose the earthbender and warrior, if only because he would feel awkward trying to soothe frightened citizens. He was clothed in a mysterious black cloak and didn't look that inviting – he might make them change their minds about coming outside. Sira walked in his wake.

The building was a small sort of warehouse; Toph threw open the door, taking no heed to the heavy locks on either side. Under her superior earthbending guidance, they shattered and she entered calmly.

The entire thing was one room. It was relatively small, as it wasn't built to accommodate the eight people who had taken refuge within its walls. A rather large, supposedly intimidating man stood in front of the others and he towered over Toph; his expression would have given an innocent bystander the impression that he was in control of the room. Toph was never one to be intimidated, though, and while she could tell that this man was a bender from the way he stood (he could so easily fall into an earthbending stance from the way he was standing now), she couldn't have cared less.

"Mister, I need to see the little girl." Of course he knew who she was talking about; the child was the youngest person in the room, save a sleeping baby that was clutched in the arms of its mother.

Toph could tell that the child was about eight or nine; seven maybe, but that seemed a little young to be so able to display that fact that she was an earthbender. She walked like one, stood like one – she'd probably had good training. "Over my dead body," the man spat out, maintaining the three feet distance between them.

"I don't think we'll have to take such extreme measures." She'd previously been facing the ground, but now she looked up at him; the room was sparsely lit, but he would have recognized her anywhere. He hadn't been able to distinguish her clothes very well, else they would have given her away, but his heartbeat sped up as her identity came to him.

"The Blind Bandit!" His gaze shifted to Sokka, then Zuko and Sira. He seemed not to trust them, but Toph and Sokka were welcomed, almost. "Sokka of the Water Tribe, it's an honor… I'm so sorry, you see I thought you were… well, it doesn't matter. The Blind Bandit, wow, uh… wow. I'd love to fight you in a real match, that'd be great – you know, if you ever –"

He seemed to be caught up in meeting Toph that he didn't remember her original request. "I need to see the child," she told him, interrupting some confession of how battling her in an earthbending match had been his dream for years. "The girl. I need to talk to the girl."

The man seemed a little surprised, and then he became uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, but she can't see you right now… I mean, she's a little traumatized and her family-"

"I really need to see her, and if you're going to make this difficult-" Toph began, but she stopped. The small figure of a girl had pushed past the man and was standing within Toph's reaching distance.

The child opened her mouth to speak. "So you're the Blind Bandit?" she asked, voice curious and not frightened in the least. Toph liked this, was attracted to the basic innocence and admiration she found in the girl's voice.

"You bet she is," Sokka said, stepping forward. The girl looked up at him with what he would have, had they been in a brighter room, identified as curiosity.

A small smile broke the child's inquiring features. "So you wanted to talk to me?" she asked, and without waiting for an answer she shuffled past her visitors without offering them a second glance. Once they were out in the open she turned to Toph, and then shifted her gaze to the others. When her eyes landed on Sira, her heartbeat sped up immensely; Toph noticed that the child seemed to forget to breathe, and all of a sudden the girl was gripping her hand for dear life. Words escaped her.

"I have not come to hurt you, child," Sira said soothingly, but the girl still could not find her voice. "Your first impression of me was wrong. That person was not me, it was an imposter; I brought you home, did I not? I returned you to you family. Are you not grateful at all?"

Toph was frowning, wondering what in the world was going on. Sokka said, "What in the name of Avatar Roku is this all about? Why are you afraid of her?"

The girl would not meet his eyes. "I don't know you," she said, speaking to Sira. "I don't know you, and I want to pretend it never happened. Because you scared me and then were kind to me – people aren't like that. I don't understand you." She turned away, and her heart-rate began to fall to normal levels. "Miss Blind Bandit, ma'am…?"

Toph shook her head. "I was going to ask you about the Shinsei. Those people that took you from your home and brought you to mine."

The child turned away, allowing her thin brown hair to shield her face. She sniffled, just loud enough for Toph to hear and no one else. "It… I… please, Miss Blind Bandit, please don't make me. You want to know, but I can't." She was shaking. "I can't, I really can't… but you can ask _her." _She pointed an incriminating finger at Sira; the woman's face betrayed emotion for the first time. She was upset, sorrowful. "You can ask her because she knows just what happened…"

"All right, then," Toph murmured. "That's all I wanted. No one's stopping you from going back to your parents – go on, now." Toph nudged the young girl toward the building, and she moved toward it slowly, crippled with the fearful memories that ran through her mind.

Toph turned to Sira. "What did you do to her?"

"I didn't hurt her," was the reply, and Toph sensed that Sira was near tears. Most of what had just happened had gone right over her head, but she had established one thing: Sira knew things that were crucial to their quest, and she intended to uncover them.

"Are you allied with the Shinsei?" Sokka demanded immediately, and Sira shook her head.

"No." The single syllable was all she was able to manage.

Zuko was frowning. "If you come with us, will you tell us what we want to know?"

Sira nodded, inclining her head more than necessary so as not to allow the world to see her blue eyes brimming with tears. "Everything," she said. "I swear to you, I'll tell you everything."

Toph found truth in every word.

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_End Chapter_

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Author's Note: Review, please! Yeah, I know it was a little weird, but the next chapter explains pretty much everything that was confusing in here.


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